Avalanche kills foreign tourist in Argentine Andes

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A foreign tourist was found dead after being swallowed by an avalanche in the Andes in southern Argentina, rescuers in the resort of Bariloche said on Thursday.

The avalanche occurred late Wednesday on Mount Lopez, one of the most popular hiking spots in the scenic region of lakes and mountains in Bariloche. Two Argentine nationals survived the incident, officials added.

“We found the body of a foreigner and later we found another person alive with bruises but no serious injuries,” Carlos Madjinca, head of the Civil Defense in Bariloche, told AFP.

The second survivor was also rescued; he was suffering from hypothermia.

Madjinca could not confirm the nationality of the deceased woman.

Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported that the woman was a 27-year-old Scottish citizen.

All three are believed to have been cross-country skiing when the avalanche was triggered.

Rescuers from the police, army, national guard and fire department began searching for the three after noticing that they had not returned to their mountain shelter that evening.

The second survivor managed to make contact with emergency services despite being buried in snow.

“It’s a miracle, he was trapped under his skis. He managed to stretch out his hand to use his phone, but he couldn’t get out of the snow because his body was trapped,” Nahuel Campitelli, an official with the Club Andino mountaineering organization, told TN television.

None of the survivors suffered life-threatening injuries, Madjinca said, adding that an investigation had been opened into the foreigner’s death.

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