Four people went missing and a fifth was injured Sunday after an avalanche near the top of Mount Shakotan in Hokkaido caught them while snowmobiling, police said.
The avalanche hit about 10 snowmobiles on the southern slopes of the 1,255-meter peak at around 2:50 p.m., the police said, adding there were 17 snowmobiles and 22 riders in the area at the time.
The police and the Shakotan government dispatched 40 people to conduct search and rescue operations by snowmobile, they said, adding that bad weather prevented the use of helicopters.
Eight people on four snowmobiles managed to descend the mountain by Sunday evening, while 10 others, including one who was injured, remained near the accident site, the police said.
Mount Shakotan, situated on the Shakotan Peninsula in the western part of the prefecture, is a popular spring ski and mountaineering destination.