Two Britons dead on Norway peak

Two British cross-country skiers have frozen to death in bad weather on a Norwegian mountain, local police say.

A third skier is in a stable condition in hospital after suffering severe hypothermia.

The man was only alive thanks to a Red Cross patrol that found him by chance, the mountain rescue service said.

The three men, believed to be from Scotland, began their trek through the western Hardangervidda region on Friday in cold and foggy conditions.

Anders Bang-Andersen, a spokesman for the Norwegian mountain rescue service, said he did not know how the men died or their identities.

The survivor was taken to hospital on a snowmobile.

A spokesman for the police office in the town of Kinsarvic, close to the mountain range, said: "Two Scottish men died but we cannot say more until their families have been contacted.

"We know they were from Scotland because the man who was injured informed us of that. He is recovering in hospital."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the reports and we are following up on that. Consular officials are looking into it but we can't confirm anything at the moment."

Hardangervidda is Europe's largest mountain plateau, and is home to thousands of reindeer and a large national park that is a popular tourist attraction.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6440353.stm