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7 students, 1 teacher dead after avalanche in Tochigi; 40 injured

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Brutal. With rain in the last 24 hours this could not have been a good time to be climbing mountains

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Springtime climbing event in snowy mountains?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Been a big year for avalanche deaths.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Six people appeared to show no vital signs>

No disrespect intended , but what the ......

4 ( +7 / -3 )

No disrespect intended , but what the ......

In Japan people can only be declared dead by a coroner I believe. Or a doctor, or someone specifically professional. This most likely means they were found dead, but not yet legally declared so.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

No one saying it is on them for taking the risks? You all might want to consider your reactions to the other deaths reported on jT that got rather callous reactions. RIP kids. This is a tragedy. Spring is not a good time to be on the mountains.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Weird headline. Tragic story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a horrible story. All those young lives.

JMA report that Nasu-Kogen (weather station at 750m asl) got 30cm of snow from midnight to 9am. At the station, the temp was only around freezing, which suggests very high density sticky slabby snow. This will have fallen on slush or ice.

The Japanese media are suggesting the slide happened on a course at the ski hill. It's such a small resort that you wouldn't think it would have a slope steep enough to produce an avalanche. Most "families" cannot ski on 30 degree slopes. Maybe there is convex roll or other terrain feature that was enough to act as a start zone when primed with this particular snowfall pattern.

RIP

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It still feels like winter here in Tokyo. I imagine that in those snowy mountains it was still full-on winter. You'd think the school would have used just a bit of common sense and rescheduled.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Poor children. Avalanches are very hard to predict and can be utterly devastating.

Other news reports show the children as being dead, rather than commenting on their vital signs.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Extremely tragic.. Hopefully there are no more deaths among the surviving injured

3 ( +3 / -0 )

My daughter is on a ski trip today, so my heart was racing when I read this

5 ( +5 / -0 )

A terrible waste of young lives...So sorry for the families

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Poor children. Avalanches are very hard to predict and can be utterly devastating.

So true. These school outings should be stricken off the list as the risks are always there. Poor kids, poor families.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Awful decision making by whoever was responsible. 30cm overnight in freeze-thaw spring conditions should mean climbing cancelled.

RIP to those lost, thoughts with those bereaved

9 ( +9 / -0 )

It's could be a blizzard or scorching hot, schools never cancel events. Because it was planned way in advance and too much trouble to cancel.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Avalanche conditions ARE predictable. Someone has not done a proper risk assessment, resulting in this tragedy.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

An avalanche warning was given after 50+cms of snow fell overnight on an icy surface. It had been as warm as 7c a day or two before and rain had also fallen.

Because of the advisory, they scaled back on their plan and didn't climb so high, but an avalanche alert is an avalanche alert. No one - esp kids should have been anywhere near there.

So sad. So many dead. All could have been prevented.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

The Japan Avalanche Network will report on this in a day or two, so the truth will get out.

Regardless of what this group did, ski resorts should not be located so that avalanches can run onto their courses from unmanaged terrain. That is an accident waiting to happen.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

I would like to express my sincere condolences on them. However, I think that a half percent of the cause of the accident attributes to the school's fault. Although an avalanche advisory had been issued then, the school have decided not to quit the excuision.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Always good to carry a Climb Worthy D ring, and know how to tie yourself into a harness. Personally, I always carry a D ring & Compass.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

as usual, japanese mentality of sticking to the plans, albeit thunderstorms, thypoons, earthquakes. The gambare spirit is misplaced. people died because no one has the balls to stand up to this mentality

4 ( +6 / -2 )

People died because of irresponsible planning. All the signs and warnings about the possibility of avalanche were present and seemingly ignored by the "expert" teachers. Criminal negligence.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

When Mother nature gave you heavy snow fall and possible avalanche, it is an obvious hint to cancel the plan!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I assume even a great number of the student were saying to themselves. This is stupid!!! My Partner told me that the students would not dear question the teacher or leader of dangers of continuing on slogging through 30cm plus fresh snow in semi blizzard condition.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is exactly why I loathe the system when it is too stubborn to change the dates on something that they've decided on before. It's "too inconvenient" to change the dates of excursions, or the venues, and this is the kind of result that inevitably happens when convenience trumps safety. With warnings given beforehand, why on earth were they allowed to go up?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Experts are saying that many students did not have rescue beacons. While they often account for making it easier to find bodies, there is a chance that someone could have been rescued had they been equipped with said device.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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