TOKYO, Jan 31 — A French man who was caught in an avalanche while back-country skiing with friends in northern Japan was confirmed dead today, Kyodo news agency reported, citing local police.

The 38-year-old had been skiing off-piste with seven friends — all French — in an area near the Tomamu resort on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, when the avalanche struck mid-afternoon yesterday, Kyodo said. He had been in cardio-pulmonary arrest and was declared dead today. — Reuters