Avalanche kills seven high school students

Seven skiers, all high school students, were killed when they were caught in an avalanche – the second fatal snow slide in two weeks in east-central British Columbia.

The dead were six boys and a girl, from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, 12 miles south of Calgary, Alberta.

Tony Macoun, head of the school, said: "We are absolutely stricken with grief." The thoughts of the staff were with those who had lost a child in the accident.

There were 17 people in the group, three adults and 14 students in an outdoor education class, on their annual cross-country ski trip. The leaders were two male teachers and a male volunteer. All three leaders had certification and experience of remote country, Mr Macoun said.

The 10 survivors were taken to safety by helicopter. One was admitted to hospital and others suffered minor injuries.

Further details of the victims were not available until next of kin could be notified.

The avalanche began just before noon on Saturday and ran for about a mile in the Glacier National Park in western Canada. Some victims were buried under about nine feet (3m) of snow.

Avalanches are common in the region during the winter and the risk in the park at the time was listed as "considerable", although the area was not off-limits.

On 20 January an avalanche 19 miles away killed seven people – four Canadians and three Americans, including the snowboard pioneer Craig Kelly.(AP)