Avalanche Kills At Least 4 Climbers On Ecuador Volcano: Officials

The avalanche struck a group of about a dozen mountaineers while at an altitude of 6,100 meters (20,000 feet) on the dormant Chimborazo volcano, the ECU911 security service said.

An avalanche Sunday on a snow-capped Ecuadoran volcano killed at least four climbers and injured a fifth, officials reported.

The avalanche struck a group of about a dozen mountaineers while at an altitude of 6,100 meters (20,000 feet) on the dormant Chimborazo volcano, Ecuador's highest peak, in the central Andean region, the ECU911 security service said.

"The existence of four dead people (and) one injury is confirmed," the agency said, adding that "an avalanche struck the group."

It did not identify the climbers or their nationalities, but the peak attracts both Ecuadoran and foreign climbers.