This morning, an avalanche occurred at a ski resort in the hot spring area of Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, resulting in the deaths of seven high school students and one teacher, and injuring 40 others, two of them seriously.
Japanese media outlets such as NHK and the Asahi Shimbun reported that around 9:20 a.m. (8:20 a.m. Taiwan time) today, an avalanche took place near the “Nasu Onsen Kazokuyama Ski Resort” in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture, affecting high school students and teachers from a mountain climbing training session in Tochigi Prefecture.
The Tochigi Prefectural Police stated that the avalanche occurred at an altitude of around 1,300 meters. Eight people — seven male students and one male teacher from Ohtawara High School, a public school in Tochigi Prefecture — were found without vital signs and were rushed to hospital. By around 9:30 p.m., all eight were confirmed dead. In addition, 40 teachers and students were injured, two of whom are high school students with serious injuries.
The Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education said that the mountain climbing training session was a three-day, two-night trip from the 25th to today, involving a total of 62 students and teachers from seven high school mountaineering clubs within Tochigi Prefecture. However, due to poor weather conditions today, the climbing activity was canceled and replaced with snow digging training near the ski resort, which 48 teachers and students participated in.
Observation records from a monitoring station on the Nasu Plateau showed that snowfall began early this morning, with about 33 cm of snow accumulated by 9 a.m. The Japan Meteorological Agency had issued warnings for heavy snow and avalanches for areas including Nasu Town, urging the public to stay cautious. 1060327
(CNA)