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Ben Nevis avalanche: Two climbers die on UK’s highest mountain

Written by on 12/03/2019

Two people have died and two have been injured after an avalanche on the UK’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis.

Police initially said three climbers had died before revising the number to two.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Police were informed that the avalanche had occurred in Number 5 Gully area at around 11:50am.

“We can sadly confirm that two people have died and two people have been injured.

She confirmed that mountain rescue volunteers from Lochaber and Glencoe were being assisted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Scottish Ambulance Service.

An air ambulance, three ambulances and a trauma team were sent to the scene.

Tuesday’s avalanche hazard was high, according to the Scottish Avalanche Information Service.

The red alert indicates that “natural and human triggered avalanches will occur. In some cases, numerous large, often very large sized natural avalanches can be expected”.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the news “tragic” in a Twitter post.

It is not the first incident to occur on the mountain this winter.

On New Year’s Day, a German woman died after falling 500ft whilst climbing the Ledge Route, and in December a student from Cardiff University died after falling in the Tower Gully part of the mountain.

Ben Nevis, near Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, is 1345m (4,413ft) above sea level and a popular challenge for climbers.

(c) Sky News 2019: Ben Nevis avalanche: Two climbers die on UK’s highest mountain