Two hikers killed by major rockfall on popular trail in Canada
Two people have been killed and another three injured when a major rockfall crashed onto a group of hikers on a popular Rocky Mountain trail in western Canada.
The accident happened on Thursday near the Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park, about 225km (140 miles) north-west of Calgary, Alberta. The area is known for its natural beauty and is particularly busy in summer.
The first victim was a 70-year-old woman from Calgary. In a joint statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parks Canada said a second body had been recovered early on Friday.
No more people have been reported missing.
Local resident Niclas Brundell, who was hiking on the trail, estimated that about 15 to 20 people were standing to the right of the falls when he and his wife noticed small rocks tumbling down. Alarmed, the two of them ran from the area.
'I turned round and saw basically a whole shelf of a mountain come loose,' he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
'We just kept sprinting and I couldn't see the people behind us anymore because they were all in that cloud of rock.'
Andy Dragt, an organizer for a local hiking club, told the Globe and Mail newspaper that one of its members had been killed in the rockfall. Around 10 club members had been present, he said, declining to identify the dead person.
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The Guardian
5 hours ago
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Two hikers killed by major rockfall on popular trail in Canada
Two people have been killed and another three injured when a major rockfall crashed onto a group of hikers on a popular Rocky Mountain trail in western Canada. The accident happened on Thursday near the Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park, about 225km (140 miles) north-west of Calgary, Alberta. The area is known for its natural beauty and is particularly busy in summer. The first victim was a 70-year-old woman from Calgary. In a joint statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parks Canada said a second body had been recovered early on Friday. No more people have been reported missing. Local resident Niclas Brundell, who was hiking on the trail, estimated that about 15 to 20 people were standing to the right of the falls when he and his wife noticed small rocks tumbling down. Alarmed, the two of them ran from the area. 'I turned round and saw basically a whole shelf of a mountain come loose,' he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. 'We just kept sprinting and I couldn't see the people behind us anymore because they were all in that cloud of rock.' Andy Dragt, an organizer for a local hiking club, told the Globe and Mail newspaper that one of its members had been killed in the rockfall. Around 10 club members had been present, he said, declining to identify the dead person.
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