Officials have confirmed five people are dead after snowmobilers were caught in an avalanche near McBride, B.C.
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Five snowmobilers are dead after an avalanche near McBride on Friday afternoon.
Two coroners have been sent from Prince George to investigate, according to BC Coroners Service spokeswoman Barb McLintock.
“This involves a very large avalanche that hit this afternoon in an area where a group of snowmobilers were snowmobiling about 20 km from McBride,” she said.
According to Avalanche Canada, the slide was triggered by human activity. The avalanche service is advising people to be very careful when venturing out into the North Rockies this weekend.
“There are layers of concern in the snowpack in many parts of this region (and others) and a fairly significant weather event added rain and snow to the snowpack over the last few days followed by clearing and cooling today,” Avalanche Canada’s Karl Klassen said in a news release.
“This may have produced stresses in the snowpack capable of producing large avalanches and this condition could take several days to settle and bond.”
