GOLDEN, British Columbia, March 8 (UPI) -- An avalanche near Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in the Canadian province of British Columbia has left two skiers dead, authorities say.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the two male victims had been in an off-limits area of the resort in Golden, when Saturday's deadly avalanche occurred, the Canwest News Service reported.
Golden RCMP officials said in a news release that two other skiers survived the avalanche by extracting themselves from the snow.
The two unidentified skiers killed were found by searchers minutes after the avalanche, but were declared dead after being air-lifted to a hospital.
The Canadian Avalanche Center said the area had a considerable chance for avalanches, meaning skiers could potentially trigger the waves of snow.
Resort safety personnel and Golden Search and Rescue officials said the four skiers likely caused the avalanche, Canwest reported.
The death toll from avalanches this year in British Columbia now exceeds 12, the news service said.
