Inbounds Avalanche Hits Japanese Ski Resort | 8 School Children Dead, 3 People Missing

An avalanche has struck a group of school children on a mountaineering training exercise near Nasu Onsen Family Ski Resort in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on Monday morning, March 27, 2017. Eight children are missing and feared dead, with rescue operations actively underway.

The avalanche occurred at approximately 9:20 a.m. local time, on a slope near the resort approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Tokyo. Three other people are also reported missing, and injuries have been reported among survivors. The full extent of casualties remains unknown as rescue efforts continue.

Between 50 and 70 school children were at the resort as part of a mountain climbing class — an annual training exercise that brings students from multiple schools together for multi-day mountaineering instruction. The group had reportedly been practicing snow-wading techniques on a slope above the ski resort’s piste when the avalanche struck.

Conditions in the area had been severe. According to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, approximately 33 centimeters — around 12 inches — of snow fell in the Nasu Onsen area between midnight and 9 a.m. on Monday alone. The Japan Meteorological Agency had issued avalanche advisories for the region ahead of the incident, with recent warm weather raising the risk of surface avalanches on slopes where fresh snow accumulates on slippery underlying layers. The ski resort itself had already closed for the season at the time of the accident.

Poor weather conditions are hampering rescue efforts, with emergency personnel working in difficult visibility and continued snowfall. Rescue teams are on the mountain and the situation is developing rapidly.

More people may be missing or injured. The number of confirmed casualties is expected to change as rescuers reach all areas of the slope and account for all members of the group.

This is an evolving situation and we will endeavor to keep our readers updated as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with the students, their families, and the teachers and emergency personnel on the mountain.