Rescue mission underway after avalanche crashes into houses in remote Arctic archipelago

Rescue mission: 100 workers dug through the snow in total darkness
REUTERS
Laura Proto19 December 2015

One person has been killed and three people – including two children – are in a serious condition after an avalanche smashed into houses in Svalbard.

The avalanche fell from Sukkertoppen Mountain into Longyearbyen, the main settlement in Svalbard, at about 5am local time (10am UK time) on Saturday.

The remote Arctic archipelago, which is in complete darkness during winter, is midway between continual Norway and the North Pole.

About 100 rescue workers have been forced to dig through tons of snow with no natural light to aid them in clear up operation.

One man in his 40s was confirmed dead and nine other people, including four children, were hospitalised after the avalanche hit 10 houses.

Two of the children, along with one adult, are said to be in a serious condition.

Scene: Longyearbyen is the main settlement of the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard
REUTERS

Svalbard Governor Kjerstin Askholt told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: "This is a very serious situation and we already have a tragic outcome.

“We still have no complete overview."

At least one woman was reported to have been dug out of the snow and dozens of other houses at the foot of the mountain have been evacuated.

Frank Jakobsen, a resident of Longyearbyen, told the Svalbardposten daily the avalanche was so powerful it had moved several houses and had poured tons of snow into others in the town of 2,000 people.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg posted on Twitter that authorities were following the situation closely and "all available resources are mobilised”.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.

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