Two Germans die of avalanche in Norway

Svalbard's governor was informed that two people who were part of a tour organised by a Russian company.

A helicopter and a sniffer dog were immediately sent to the remote islands, but both, who were not identified, were confirmed dead by rescue teams, the governor said in a statement.

The glacier is located near Barentsburg, a Russian coal - mining town. Under a 1920 treaty, Norway has sovereignty over the Archipelago, but other signatory countries have the right to exploit its natural resources. Barentsburg, the second largest settlement in Svalbard, has 435 inhabitants, mainly Russians and Ukrainians.