Breaking News - Avalanche kills 4 climbers in Scottish Highlands

Started by NewsCaster, Jan 20, 2013, 03:30 AM

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Jan 20, 2013, 03:30 AM
By Estelle Shirbon, ReutersLONDON - Four climbers were  killed in an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday, police said, in by  far the worst incident linked to a blast of cold weather that has hit Britain.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld  The victims, two men and two women, were in a party of six out climbing  in the Glencoe area, renowned for its beautiful landscapes. Scotland is home to  Britain's highest mountains and is a popular destination for hikers and  climbers.

Northern Constabulary, the force that polices the Highlands,  said one woman from the same party was in hospital in a very serious condition.  The sixth climber, who raised the alarm after the avalanche struck, was safe and being cared for by emergency services.


Scotland's First  Minister Alex Salmond described the deaths as "an appalling tragedy."

"To lose four people from a party of six is truly devastating," he said  in a statement.

Although Britain has a large and enthusiastic community  of hill walkers and mountaineers, it does not have any major mountain chains.  Accidents on the scale of the Glencoe incident are rare.

Elsewhere in  Britain, road, rail and air traffic were disrupted by heavy snowfall that  started on Friday.

Dozens of flights out of London's Heathrow Airport  were canceled and British media had extensive coverage of chaotic scenes inside  one passenger terminal where large numbers of people had spent the night on the  floor.

Related story: Hundreds of flights canceled in UK because of heavy snow

 

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