TOKYO, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Two people died on Monday after an avalanche stroke a group of backcountry skiers, believed to be foreign nationals, in Hokkaido, Japan, according to the police.

According to local authorities, the incident occurred on Monday when rescue teams were alerted around 11 a.m. about the avalanche hitting individuals on Mt. Yotei, a mountain towering at 1,898 meters and covering towns such as Kutchan and Niseko.

The snowslide affected three members, believed to be New Zealand nationals, of the six-person party on the northern slope, slightly above the midpoint between the mountain's peak and its base, local media reports showed.

According to the police, a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest, but their deaths were later confirmed at the hospital.

A survivor, experiencing pain around his shoulder, managed to make it back along with the remaining three members by approximately 1:30 p.m. local time. They informed authorities that the avalanche had struck around 10 a.m.

There was no avalanche warning in place for Mt. Yotei during the time of the incident, as confirmed by the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sapporo Regional Headquarters. Enditem

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