Fred Harteis News Articles - Avalanche sweeps cars off Colorado highway

Fred Harteis News - A massive avalanche -- 200 feet wide and 15 feet deep -- swept across one of Colorado's main recreation routes, burying at least two cars and prompting a search for possible survivors Saturday.

Officials said six people were rescued from two cars, and one person was taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The avalanche rumbled across U.S. 40 in three places near 11,307-foot Berthoud Pass, 50 miles west of Denver, shortly after 10:30 a.m.. The busy freeway leads to the popular Winter Park ski resort.

U.S. 40 will remain closed between Winter Park and Interstate 70 "for the foreseeable future," said Bob Wilson, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

"They're going to continue the rescue effort up there to make sure that there are no other vehicles that are involved," said Colorado State Patrol spokesman Eric Wynn. "And if there is, to get those vehicles or occupants out of there as quick as we can."

A series of large snowstorms during the past three weeks raised the threat of an avalanche, Wynn said.

Rescue workers were using equipment ranging from front-end loaders to cross-country skis to remove snow, rocks, trees and other debris and search for survivors.

"This is a tremendous amount of snow to come down on the mountain side for us," said Stacy Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. "We don't typically see these types of avalanches."

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Source: Cnn.com

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