
Seven skiers in theย Gaspรฉ region of Canada were caught in an avalanche on the Mont Albert Tuesday afternoon, reports CBC. Six of them were injured, one of them seriously. The skier who was seriously hurt suffered a back injury and must undergo surgery. Another injured skier has a dislocated shoulder. They are all expected to recover.
Quebec provincial police say authoritiesย were alerted to the avalanche at about 4:30 pm and the ensuing rescue operation lasted hours, withย the last person pulled out of the snow at 8:30 pm.
Julie Leblanc, a forecaster forย Avalancheย Quรฉbec, told CBC the avalanche could have been caused by the release of “wind plates,” layers of stiff snow deposited by the wind.ย She said it appears the skiers trapped by the slide had been prepared, carrying avalanche gear.
Six of the skiersย are from New Brunswick and one is from Nova Scotia. The group had been climbing one behind the other when the avalanche occurredย at 2:30 pm. One of them was able to get help, Leblanc said.