Two climbers have died and another two are injured after an avalanche on the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Police and mountain rescue personnel were called to the scene, in the Number 5 Gully area just before midday.
“We can sadly confirm that two people have died and two people have been injured,” Police Scotland said in a statement.
“Volunteers from Lochaber and Glencoe Mountain Rescue Teams remain at the scene and were assisted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Scottish Ambulance Service,” Police Scotland said, according to the UK’s Press Association.
An air ambulance, three ambulances and a trauma team were later sent to the peak, the Scottish Ambulance Service said in a separate statement.
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service has warned that there is a high risk of avalanches in the area at the moment.
“This is absolutely tragic news,” Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted. “My thoughts are very much with the bereaved and injured. And my gratitude as always for the work of our emergency services, Mountain Rescue and Coastguard.”
Ben Nevis, a popular tourist destination, is the highest mountain in the British Isles, standing at 1,343 meters.
