3 skiers killed, 4 injured in avalanche near Invermere, B.C.

An avalanche that struck southwest of Invermere, B.C., on Wednesday killed three skiers and injured four others, authorities have confirmed.

An avalanche that struck southwest of Invermere, B.C., on Wednesday killed three skiers and injured four others, authorities have confirmed.

Mounties said 10 people in total were caught in the avalanche, all foreign nationals except for a guide. Some were seriously injured, but are expected to survive.

B.C. RCMP said the victims were heli-skiing near Panorama Mountain Resort when the avalanche was triggered around noon.

"Rescue efforts were carried out by search and rescue (and) Panorama Ski Patrol, in coordination with heli-skiing companies directly involved," Cpl. James Grandy said in a news release Thursday.

Twelve people have died in B.C. avalanches so far this season, making it one of the worst in decades.

Invermere Mayor Al Miller called the latest fatal avalanche "very, very unfortunate," and said it caught the town of around 3,400 people off guard.

"We're a small, tight-knit community," Miller told CTV News Calgary. "When that many helicopters start rolling back and forth and back and forth, you know something has gone terribly wrong."