7 killed in Western Canada avalanche.

[Phuz]

Damn..

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Seven people were killed on Saturday in the second fatal avalanche to strike the mountains of western Canada in less than two weeks, officials said.

The seven were part of a group of 17 Canadians, mostly youths, who were on a ski trip in the slide-prone Rogers Pass area of Glacier National Park near Revelstoke, British Columbia, police and park officials said.

Some of the victims were buried in up to 10 feet (three meters) of snow when the slide -- described by experts at the scene as powerful enough to destroy a building -- rolled over them on a mountainside in the Connaught Creek valley.

"It was a very large avalanche," said Pat Dunn, a spokeswoman for the park.

One of the 10 rescued had to be hospitalized but the others received only minor bumps and bruises. "Everyone has been accounted for," Dunn said.
Avalanches are so common in the Rogers Pass area about 160 miles (250 km) west of Calgary, Alberta, that a Canadian forces military unit is posted there in winter to help civilian road crews keep the Trans Canada highway open.
The avalanche risk in the area of the slide was rated as "considerable" -- a mid-level warning rating -- on Saturday, but what caused the snowpack to fracture and roar down the mountain was not yet known, officials said.

Not another one...What a terrible way to die. It doesn't mention whether or not they had avalanche beacons on them or not, but you're not supposed to have access to backcountry areas without one. This is supposedly a terrible year for snow in Alberta Banff area. This is quite close to where I'm going for a week at the end of the winter... I can only hope that snowpack is a little better then. Scary stuff..

 

[Chaotic42]

I just heard. My prayers go out to their families and for their souls.

 

[Eli]

Yeah, it wouldn't be a very fun way to die... especially if you got trapped in an air pocket, but were like 10 feet below ....... you'd have no hope..

 

[geno]

7 seems to be the unlucky number lately....

 

[StageLeft]

This is barely even making the news. CNN, fox, msnbc are pasted all over with 7 dead from a shuttle, and yet I can't even find mention of this anywhere on their sites.

 

[Evadman]

 

[SSP]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
This is barely even making the news. CNN, fox, msnbc are pasted all over with 7 dead from a shuttle, and yet I can't even find mention of this anywhere on their sites.

Don't get your hopes up.

Too bad this had to happen, again.