Avalanche site photographed on the 15th
Xinhua News Agency exclusive — The U.S. National Park Service confirmed on the 16th that a Japanese mountaineering team encountered an avalanche while attempting to climb Mount McKinley. One survived, four are missing and presumed dead.
Spokesperson Maureen McLaughlin said the five team members were from Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, aged between 50 and 69. They were attempting to climb Mount McKinley in the early morning of the 14th when the avalanche occurred.
McLaughlin said the survivor, 69-year-old Minoru Morimoto, fell into a crevasse and survived.
Morimoto told rescuers that during the avalanche, he and his four companions were roped together and fell together before the rope subsequently broke. After escaping the avalanche, Morimoto tried to locate his teammates but was unsuccessful. He then descended to the mountain’s base camp at around 2,200 meters altitude to seek help.
McLaughlin said rescuers searched the area for two days but did not find the four missing climbers, who are now presumed dead. Rescuers and some volunteers plan to continue the search.
McLaughlin described the incident as “unfortunate and accidental.” Morimoto’s team was climbing via the West Buttress route, which is the classic path to the summit of Mount McKinley and used by over 90% of climbers.
Mount McKinley is located in Alaska, USA, with an elevation of nearly 6,200 meters. It is the highest peak in North America and one of the targets many mountaineers hope to “conquer.” More than 1,000 climbers attempt to summit it each year.
According to the Associated Press, more than ten climbers have died in accidents on Mount McKinley over the past three years.