Severe Blizzard Traps Dozens Of People At Ski Resort In New Zealand

Blizzard conditions have trapped 30 people in lodges and huts and forced the evacuation of dozens of others from Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand.

 

The mountain, in the Tongariro National Park on the North Island, was closed on Sunday, according to stuff.co.nz.

 

Another 25 to 30 cm of new snow was due to be dumped overnight.

Thirty people are trapped in a blizzard on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand’s North Island

Thirty people were reportedly stuck at lodges and in huts, including those at the Whakapapa Lodge and the Massey University Alpine Club.  

 

They have been conveyed down the mountain in chair lifts, said staff from Ruapehu Alpine Lifts.

 

Spokesperson Anna Mclaren said the conditions had made the rescue process slow.

A spokeswoman for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts said the freezing conditions had slowed the rescue process

‘It’s been blizzard conditions up there and a number of the clubbies from the lodges were caught up there and we’ve just been convoying them down throughout the day on the hour,’ she said.

 

‘The ops crew arrived at work this morning and realised that there had been heavy snow fall overnight and it was still coming in.’

 

She said the Whakapapa had reached two metres of snow and Turoa was nearly at two metres. 

Mt Ruapehu was closed on Sunday after it was hit by two metres of snow during a fierce blizzard

Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

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