Bishkek, Oct 19 (IANS) The bodies of all six people who went missing in an avalanche in Kyrgyzstan have been found, the country's Emergency Situations Ministry said on Saturday.

The bodies of three people were found on Friday, and three more were found on Saturday morning, said the ministry.

Earlier, rescuers said that a group of 14 people went to the mountains in the Chatkal district of the Jalal-Abad region to collect medicinal plants on October 9. Eight were found alive on Wednesday after being reported missing after an avalanche on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, other animals, and earthquakes.

Primarily composed of flowing snow and air, large avalanches have the capability to capture and move ice, rocks, and trees.

Avalanches occur in two general forms, or combinations of slab avalanches made of tightly packed snow, triggered by a collapse of an underlying weak snow layer, and loose snow avalanches made of looser snow.

After being set off, avalanches usually accelerate rapidly and grow in mass and volume as they capture more snow. If an avalanche moves fast enough, some of the snow may mix with the air, forming a powder snow avalanche.

Though they appear to share similarities, avalanches are distinct from slush flows, mudslides, rock slides, and serac collapses. They are also different from large-scale movements of ice.

Avalanches can happen in any mountain range that has an enduring snowpack. They are most frequent in winter or spring but may occur at any time of the year. In mountainous areas, avalanches are among the most serious natural hazards to life and property, so great efforts are made in avalanche control.

--IANS

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