Story highlights Students were taking ski and climbing lessons as part of a mountaineering group

Thirty-two students and teachers were able to safely get down from the slope

Tokyo (CNN) Seven high school students and a teacher were killed after being caught in an avalanche at a Japanese ski resort Monday, according to the local fire department. The avalanche struck in the town of Nasu 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Tokyo on the final day of the excursion, Tochigi authorities said, adding that soldiers were brought in at the request of the prefecture's governor. Six other students are believed to be injured, according to one of the teachers accompanying the students, who spoke to officials by phone. The students were part of a mountaineering club and had reportedly been taking part in a climbing event when local police received a call about the avalanche at 9:20 a.m. local time, according to local officials. A warning had been issued for heavy snow and possible avalanches from Sunday until Monday in the area north of Tokyo, with the local weather agency forecasting snowfall of some 30 centimetres (about 12 inches).
An avalanche on Mount Nasu in Japan's Tochigi Prefecture, kills at least eight schoolchildren while the students were on a mountaineering excursion. There are three students and three teachers missing.