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| Avalanche in Scottish Highlands sparks fears for climbers | Avalanche in Scottish Highlands sparks fears for climbers |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four mountain rescue teams have converged on Creag Meagaidh in the Highlands following an avalanche that is feared to have left a number of people trapped. | Four mountain rescue teams have converged on Creag Meagaidh in the Highlands following an avalanche that is feared to have left a number of people trapped. |
| Two people were taken to hospital and the search for others is continuing after climbing gear was spotted in the dislodged snow. One was in a serious condition, the BBC said. | |
| Police said that the avalanche was reported by a group of climbers who came across the snow slide and spotted equipment believed to belong to those trapped underneath. | |
| The coastguard helicopter that was involved in the search for climbers Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, who have been missing on Ben Nevis since Sunday, has also been diverted to the Creag Meagaidh area. The search for the couple was called off due to the bad weather. | |
| Creag Meagaidh is one of Scotland’s most popular areas for climbing, with steep cliffs that offer a challenge for experienced climbers. The avalanche risk on Creag Meagaidh was designated as “considerable” on Wednesday afternoon. | |
| Earlier, Police Scotland said that one of three elderly hillwalkers who had been missing overnight in Dumfries and Galloway had died. | Earlier, Police Scotland said that one of three elderly hillwalkers who had been missing overnight in Dumfries and Galloway had died. |
| The three had been missing in the Southern Uplands since Tuesday afternoon, and were found by search teams 2.5 miles (4km) east of the village of Durisdeer. | The three had been missing in the Southern Uplands since Tuesday afternoon, and were found by search teams 2.5 miles (4km) east of the village of Durisdeer. |
| Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and Jeffrey Stewart, 74, told family they would be home by 3.30pm but relatives called the police two hours later when they failed to return. | Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and Jeffrey Stewart, 74, told family they would be home by 3.30pm but relatives called the police two hours later when they failed to return. |
| The two surviving hillwalkers were being treated for hypothermia in hospital. | The two surviving hillwalkers were being treated for hypothermia in hospital. |
| Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said conditions around Ben Nevis were too treacherous to continue the search for Slater, 24, and Newton, 27. | |
| Rescue team leader John Stevenson told BBC Radio Scotland: “We’re expecting more bad weather so we’ve put everything on hold and are reviewing it. | |
| “There were high winds yesterday which have died down a bit but it’s still very blustery on the hill and the areas we want to look at have had a lot of fresh snowfall blown in so they are very unstable and we wouldn’t like to put people in there until there is a bit of settlement. | |
| “It’s always a worry when you’re putting people in to these areas. It’s quite scary and very hard work in these conditions.” | |
| Slater and Newton, from Bradford in West Yorkshire, went climbing on Ben Nevis over the weekend and were reported overdue on Monday. | |
| Stevenson said: “As time goes on it’s very difficult, the weather conditions have been really bad and no-one has heard from them or seen them is a worry. You always have hope but as time goes on that diminishes quite rapidly.” |