11 Norwegian Soldiers Killed in Avalanche

Eleven Norwegian soldiers were killed and six are missing and feared dead after they were buried Wednesday by an avalanche of snow while on North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises in northern Norway, a NATO spokesman said.

Lt. Col. Gunnar Mjell said 10 survivors and the 11 dead were taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital after 27 soldiers on a ski patrol were buried by the avalanche at 2 p.m. Three survivors were uninjured.

The soldiers were taking part in Anchor Express, an exercise involving about 20,000 troops from Britain, Canada, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, the United States and West Germany, designed to test the defense of its northern flank in winter.

Mjell said a 100-person rescue party and 12 military helicopters were combing the area around Vassdalen, near the northern port of Narvik, for survivors amid strong winds, driving snow, poor visibility and subzero temperatures.