Avalanche kills 7 in Japan—police

TOKYO—Seven people died after being hit by an avalanche on Saturday on a mountain in Japan’s central Toyama prefecture, local police said.

The seven—four men and three women—were climbing or skiing when the avalanche, an estimated 30 meters (98 feet) wide and 600 meters long, hit on a western slope of the 2,860-meter-high Mt. Masago, police said.

They were taken to hospital by helicopter but were confirmed dead, police said.

A local police officer said rescuers were continuing the search as it was not clear if there were any other people on the mountain at the time of the avalanche.