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Japan: Two skiers presumed dead after avalanche

January 30, 2023

Police are trying to confirm the identities and nationalities of the two men. They were caught in an avalanche in the Nagano region.

https://p.dw.com/p/4MqlB
An aerial photo of the mountain resort in Otari village.
Japan has been experiencing a cold snap.Image: The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images

Two men have been found after getting caught in an avalanche and are presumed dead, police from central Japan's Nagano region said Monday. 

Police official Tomohiro Kushibiki told AFP news agency that they were trying to confirm their identities and nationalities.

Authorities said both men were found in "cardio-respiratory arrest." The term is commonly used in Japan before the death can be confirmed by a doctor. 

What do we know so far about the avalanche?

The two men and several other skiers and snowboarders had gone outside of patrolled areas of a ski resort in Otari village. 

While there was no official confirmation of the identities of the two men, the outdoor magazine "Mountain Gazette" said in its online edition that one of them was 31-year-old US skier Kyle Smaine.

"It is with great sadness we report beloved South Lake Tahoe Professional Skier Kyle Smaine has died in an avalanche in Japan," the magazine wrote.

Police said several members of the group were hit by the avalanche, and the rest were able to make it safely back. 

A cold snap in Japan had blanketed much of the country in snow, including the ski destination of Nagano. An avalanche and snow warning have currently been issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency for the area.

Heavy snow, freezing temperatures sweep across Asia

tg/rt (AFP, Reuters)