Avalanche kills at least four climbers on Ecuador volcano, officials say
- The avalanche struck a group of about a dozen mountaineers on the dormant Chimborazo volcano, Ecuador’s highest peak
- ‘The existence of four dead people (and) one injury is confirmed,’ the ECU911 security service said
An avalanche on a snow-capped Ecuadorean volcano killed at least four climbers and injured a fifth, officials reported on Sunday.
The avalanche struck a group of about a dozen mountaineers while at an altitude of 6,100 metres (20,000 feet) on the dormant Chimborazo volcano, Ecuador’s highest peak, in the central Andean region, the ECU911 security service said.
“The existence of four dead people (and) one injury is confirmed,” the agency said, adding that “an avalanche struck the group.”
It did not identify the climbers or their nationalities, but the peak attracts both Ecuadorean and foreign climbers.
Chimborazo, which rises 6,263 metres (20,547 feet) above sea level, is covered in snow and glaciers year-round and is located near the town of Riobamba, about 180km (110 miles) south of Quito.