2 Foreigners Feared Unconscious after Avalanche in Nagano

Nagano, Jan. 29 (Jiji Press)--Five people from abroad were caught in an avalanche in the village of Otari, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, at around 2:30 p.m. Sunday (5:30 a.m. GMT), according to local police.

Three of the five made a descent later in the day, while the other two, both men, are feared to be unconscious at the scene, police sources said.

The police will send a rescue team to the scene on Monday morning.

According to the police, three groups of foreigners were skiing or snowboarding in the backcountry around the avalanche site at the time.

Of the three, a group of two Australians and a person whose nationality is unknown and a group of two Americans were hit by the avalanche. The other group reported to the police through a third party.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]