3 Hong Kong residents Hiking in Biei, Hokkaido, 1 dead in snowstorm Popular tourist destination attracts 1.2 million tourists a year

According to Japan’s NHK news report, three Hong Kong male tourists encountered a snowstorm yesterday (22nd) while hiking in Tokachi, Biei Town, Hokkaido. The Hokkaido police went to search and rescue following receiving the report. 1 man was slightly injured.

3 Hong Kong residents Hiking in Biei, Hokkaido, 1 dead in snowstorm Popular tourist destination attracts 1.2 million tourists a year

According to Japanese media reports, at around 12:30 p.m. on December 22, the monitor at the Wangyue Terrace at the Tokachi Mountain Climbing Pass in Biei Town, Hokkaido received a Hong Kong man asking for help, saying that he and two Hong Kong men who were traveling with him were separated on the way to the mountain.

The local police went to the rescue immediately following receiving the report, and at around 5 pm on the same day, two men were found near the top of Yuetai Mountain 500 meters away, but one of them, a 37-year-old man, was unconscious and in critical condition, and was later confirmed dead. Another 35-year-old man fell down the mountain on his own with the assistance of rescuers and showed symptoms of hypothermia, but his life was not in danger.

Schematic diagram, not a picture of the incident. (tokachidakegeopark@Facebook)

According to the local police, all three were hikers from Hong Kong. They entered Tokachidake from Wangyue Mountain at regarding 6:30 am on December 22. Lost in a blizzard. The local police also said that there was still a blizzard at the search and rescue site, and the visibility was extremely low, and they would investigate the incident in detail.

Biei, Hokkaido has always been a popular tourist destination. According to the data from the Japan Tourism Bureau, Biei Town receives 1.2 million tourists every year. Blue Pond and Shirokane Hot Spring are among the must-see attractions for tourists. Among them, Mount Tokachi, located in Daisetsuzan National Park, is an active volcano with an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. It attracts many climbers every year. There are shelters and toilets along the climbing route.