▲ The rescue team from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office in California is dispatched on the 17th (local time) to Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe to rescue those stranded by an avalanche.
A large avalanche in the mountainous region of Northern California, USA, has led to the disappearance of 10 skiers on the snowy mountains.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office in California announced via its official Facebook page that they received a report around 11:30 a.m. local time on the 17th that an avalanche had swept 16 skiers in the Castle Peak area near Lake Tahoe.
The group consisted of four ski guides and 12 clients.
The rescue authorities have identified the whereabouts of six members of the group, but they are said to be stranded due to severe weather conditions.
The remaining 10 are still missing.
According to the AP, the located group has set up temporary shelters using tarps and are communicating with authorities using emergency beacons capable of sending texts, while awaiting rescue.
Sheriff Russell Green explained that 46 rescuers are attempting to approach using skis and snowmobiles, but the increased risk of further avalanches is making them proceed with caution.
It is known that the group met with the accident on the last day of their three-day, 4-mile (about 6.4 km) backcountry ski trip.
Currently, a powerful winter storm is hitting California, with heavy snow and strong wind warnings issued in the mountainous areas.
The Sierra Avalanche Center, which oversees the accident area, issued an avalanche warning for the region from 5 a.m. that day.
The center anticipated that the avalanche risk would continue until Wednesday.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)