A cornice formed by strong winds near the summit of Mount Harvey in northern Vancouver, Canada, collapsed yesterday, affecting five hikers. Local police have now recovered their bodies, and reports indicate that all were experienced South Korean climbers.
According to the UK's Independent, a hiker on Mount Harvey informed local police on Saturday afternoon that a massive, overhanging block of snow had collapsed at the summit. Noticing footprints on the ground, he realized others had already reached the top and grew concerned for their safety. However, unstable snow conditions throughout the night slowed down rescue efforts, and it was later confirmed that five hikers were missing in the avalanche zone.
Canadian disaster relief personnel found the hikers' bodies on Sunday. The Vancouver Sun reported that they were experienced South Korean climbers. CBC News quoted a rescuer as saying the group had fallen about 500 meters from the avalanche site.
The deadliest avalanche in Canadian history occurred on New Year's Day 1999, when an avalanche in northern Quebec killed nine people in an Inuit village.