Reports from police authorities confirm that deadly avalanches struck Norway’s far northern parts, resulting in the deaths of four people, including tourists, with a house and a barn swept into the sea. The group of tourists caught in an avalanche in the Kvalvikdalen valley in Norway’s far north Lyngen municipality on Friday afternoon were from Italy, as reported by Lyngen Mayor Dan-Havard Johnsen, though their nationality is not yet known.
Two people died in an avalanche on the island of Reinoya, and another person died in a separate avalanche in Lyngen, with two others injured, one of whom is in critical condition. One avalanche also struck Tromso, where one person from a group of five foreign tourists died.
Norway experiences avalanches every year, particularly during the winter months when there is significant snowfall. The weight of the snowpack can become too great, causing it to slide downhill with potentially great force, potentially hurting or killing people in the area. Despite preventive measures and avalanche safety training, avalanches can still be unpredictable and dangerous.
Police spokesman Morten Pettersen reported that ‘there were five people of foreign origin that were on an outing in the area. We can confirm that one person is deceased,’ adding that ‘the person was part of a larger foreign travelling party. Another member of the travelling party who was at the scene located the person and alerted the emergency services.’ Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called the deaths ‘a tragic start to Easter.’
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