Five people were caught in an avalanche at Riksgränsen in Kiruna municipality on Wednesday. Three were injured, including a Norwegian man in his 20s who was seriously hurt and taken to Norway for treatment. All were airlifted to hospital.
Rescue services were alerted just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday after an avalanche struck at Riksgränsen in the Abisko mountains. Five people were swept away in the avalanche, which NSD reported as 50 meters long. Mountain rescuers arrived after about 45 minutes, and an extensive search confirmed no others were involved, police said. Region Norrbotten stated three were injured. Two Finnish men, one in his 30s and one in his 50s, suffered minor injuries. The seriously injured man, a Norwegian in his 20s, was airlifted to Norway for further care. All were transported to hospital by helicopter. Mountain rescue is now warning of high avalanche risk in the Kiruna mountains. “We have seen a lot of avalanches, it is dangerous right now,” said Erik Lidström of mountain rescue.
