HELSINKI — Two civilian employees of the Norwegian military were killed and a third one injured in an avalanche on a remote Arctic Ocean island inhabited only by soldiers and researchers of the Nordic country.
A statement from the Norwegian Armed Forces said Sunday that the accident took place Saturday afternoon on Jan Mayen island, located 310 miles east of Greenland and 620 miles west of mainland Norway.
“Three employees based at the Armed Forces station on Jan Mayen were on a leisure trip when they were hit by an avalanche, some distance from the station,” the Norwegian military said.
One managed to break free after being buried in snow for two hours and returned back to the military base for help, it added.
Public broadcaster NRK identified them as nurse Bjoerk Batalden, 57, and civil engineer Robin Karlsen, 31.
The unidentified man who survived the avalanche suffered minor injuries, NRK said.
Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen, chief of Norway’s military, and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg offered their condolences to the victims’ relatives.
“I have received a sad message that two of us have lost their lives in a landslide accident on Jan Mayen. Our people do an important job there every day, on Norwegian territory, but still far from home,” Kristoffersen said.