http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/08 ... ?hpt=hp_t2
A 17-year-old British boy is dead and four others are severely injured after a polar bear attacked their tents as they took part in a school trip to the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, officials said Friday.
The five were among a group of 13 from a British school who were at the Von Postbreen glacier, a statement on the Svalbard governor's website said.
Those injured are 16, 17, 27 and 29 years old, the statement said. They are being flown to a hospital in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso, after initial treatment in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard, situated about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the glacier.
Police are investigating the attack, which occurred early Friday. The eight members of the party who were unharmed are also being cared for, the Svalbard governor's website said.
The polar bear has been killed, the statement added.
The United Kingdom's Foreign Office confirmed that a British national had been killed and said relatives of those involved had been informed.
It does not appear they thought they should capture and study the polar bear long term to understand why it would attack.
