Eight people killed in avalanche in California mountain region

Avalanche Claims Eight Lives in Sierra Nevada Mountains

Rescue efforts are ongoing in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California after an avalanche engulfed a group of skiers on Tuesday morning. According to Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon, at least eight people have been found deceased as part of the incident.

Six of the 15 skiers who were buried by the avalanche were discovered alive, but one person remains unaccounted for. The sheriff confirmed that family members have been informed that the search has shifted from rescue to recovery efforts.

The deadly incident occurred during a powerful winter storm in California, which has caused heavy snowfall near Lake Tahoe and other areas in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Sierra Avalanche Center warned of high risk of further avalanches due to unstable conditions resulting from several feet of additional snow.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is leading whole-of-government efforts to support Nevada County, with additional resources being coordinated statewide for search-and-rescue operations near Castle Peak. Search-and-rescue teams were dispatched after a call reported 15 people on a three-day trek had been buried by an avalanche.

Blackbird Mountain Guides stated that four guides were among those affected by the avalanche while returning to a trailhead. The company expressed its condolences to the missing individuals, their families, and first responders involved in the rescue efforts.

Source: Al Jazeera