Avalanche in Japan kills at least 8

The area has been in the grip of snowstorms strong enough that rescue helicopters initially had trouble reaching the avalanche zone, according to Japanese news reports.

Television footage showed rows of ambulances and other emergency vehicles waiting in the still-falling snow as crews worked to find and rescue survivors.

The branch of the Tochigi government responsible for dealing with natural disasters identified most of the victims as boys from Otawara High School.

Otawara has one of the top school mountaineering clubs in the nation, having won the Tochigi prefectural title for competitive climbing eight years running, according to its website.

Officials from the Tochigi board of education said at a news conference that the group of seven schools had originally planned to climb to the top of Mount Chausu, a 6,300-foot peak, to cap a three-day training program that began on Saturday.

The group had been camping at a ski resort near the mountain’s base, the officials said, learning lessons on how to climb in the snow, including how to avoid avalanches.