Ibekwe entliziyweni yeeNtaba zeRocky, i-2.3 yezigidi zeehektare iWhite River National Forest lelona hlathi liphezulu lokuzonwabisa esizweni. Ikhaya leendawo ekuchithelwa kuzo iiholide ezidumileyo kwihlabathi kunye nendawo yokuzalwa yasentlango, uMlambo iWhite unento enokunika wonke umntu othanda ngaphandle.
Namhlanje lo mmandla mhle wabulala amalungu amahlanu eqela lokudlala ekhephini. Bafunyenwe bebhubhile emva kokuba i-avalanche ibavale kwindledlana yasentabeni.
U-Sheriff County weCreek County u-Don Krueger uthe kwingxelo yokuba i-snowboarders ezintandathu zabanjwa kwisilayidi. Ayizange ikhululwe imeko yomntu osinde yedwa, kwaye akucaci ukuba amaxhoba asangcwatywa na.
Ukubhubha kwangoMgqibelo kuzisa inani labantu ababhubhileyo kwi-avalanche kwilizwe ukuya kwi-11 kulo nyaka, ngokweZiko leNgcaciso yeColorado Avalanche.
USpencer Logan, umbikezeli weziko eliseBoulder, uthe kukho iileya ezibuthathaka kwi-snowpack yaseColorado ukusukela ekuqaleni kukaJanuwari.
“Uthotho lwethu lokugqibela lwezaqhwithi lubenze baphinda basebenza ngakumbi,” utshilo. “Kwiveki ephelileyo enesiqingatha, laa ndawo ifumene ngaphezulu kwee-intshi ezili-18 zekhephu, ukuba unokunyibilika loo nto inokuba zii-intshi ezi-2 zamanzi, ngumthwalo onzima lowo.”
I-Loveland Pass, ekuphakameni kweenyawo ze-11,990, idumile phakathi kwabatyibiliki be-backcountry kunye ne-snowboarders. ISebe lezoThutho laseColorado livale i-US Route 6 njengoko abaninzi abatyibilizi besiya ekhaya bevela kufutshane ne-Arapahoe Basin ski resort.
U-Lisa Clarke Devore, owayebuyela e-Denver esuka kwindawo ekuchithelwa kuyo iiholide, uxelele I-Associated Press ukuba wabona ilori yomlilo kunye ne-ambulensi kwipasi, kunye nezinja ezimbini zokukhangela ezisingise kwindawo yesilayidi. Uthi wabona ii-ambulensi ezininzi, kuquka enye erhuqa inqwelo-mafutha ekhephini, iqhuba isiya kwindawo yokudlula.
NgoLwesine, umntu oneminyaka engama-38 ubudala usweleke kwi-snowboarder kwi-avalanche emazantsi eVail Pass. Amagosa kasherifu we-Eagle County athi le ndoda kunye nenye i-snowboarder kusenokwenzeka ukuba yabangela isilayidi emva kokuba umhlobo wabo owayekhwele inqwelo-mafutha ekhephu wabawisa phezulu kwi-Avalanche Bowl.
Ukufa kwe-avalanche yase-US kunyuke ngomnqantsa malunga no-1990 ukuya kumyinge omalunga nama-24 ngonyaka njengoko izixhobo ezitsha ziye zafumaneka kuhambo lokubuyela emva. Ukuza kuthi ga ngelo xesha, ama-avalanche ayengafane athathe ubomi obungaphezulu kwesandla kwisizini nganye kwiirekhodi ezibuyela emva ngo-1950.
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- Lisa Clarke Devore, who was headed back to Denver from the resort, told The Associated Press she saw a fire truck and ambulance on the pass, as well two search dogs headed into the area of the slide.
- Eagle County sheriff's officials said the man and another snowboarder likely triggered the slide after a friend on a snowmobile dropped them off at the top of Avalanche Bowl.
- “Over the last week and a half, that area got over 18 inches of snow, so if you melted that that would be 2 inches of water, so that is a heavy load.
