At least six school children feared dead in Japanese avalanche

At least six Japanese high school students are feared dead, after they were caught in an avalanche at a ski resort.

The avalanche occurred on Monday morning at the Nasu Onsen ski resort in Tochigi prefecture.

Six people were found with no vital signs, Japan's Kyodo
 news agency said.

About 70 people including students and teachers from 
several schools are said to have been in the area at the time.

Rescue efforts are under way with media reports suggesting
more than 30 people were injured by the avalanche.

The children were taking part in a large scale mountain climbing event involving seven schools, local media reports said.

Japanese authorities usually do not confirm victims as
 dead until after an autopsy at a hospital.

The area around the town of Nasu has several ski resorts. 
The region has received heavy snow over the past two days and avalanche warnings had been in effect.

Relief efforts are hampered by persistent bad weather in
 the area. Rescue helicopters are still unable to reach the scene.

Conditions on Monday were reported to be bad, with more than 30cm of fresh snow since Sunday.

Recent warm weather had further raised the avalanche risk.