A snowmobiler is believed to have been killed after group on snowmobiles became caught in an avalanche in a remote mountainous area south of Chetwynd.

Chetwynd RCMP are investigating. The avalanche occurred in backcountry approximately 25 km from where the group parked their vehicles.

All other snowmobilers in the group have been accounted for.

The BC Coroners Service, local search and rescue and an avalanche technician have been called to the scene.

Due to the danger of further avalanches, no attempts to retrieve the body will be made until the area is deemed to be safe, tomorrow at the earliest, say the RCMP.

Meanwhile in a separate incident elsewhere in the province, a snowmobiler is missing following an avalanche in the north Okanagan region.

The Vernon RCMP was called in this afternoon after two snowmobilers, who had been part of a group of three snowmobiling near Mara Mountain north-east of Enderby, made outside contact as they left the area where the avalanche took place.

The pair told the people they had contacted that they had been involved in an avalanche. They were able to get out but had been forced to leave one of their companions trapped behind.

That person's emergency locator beacon has been signalling from the site.

The Search and Rescue group from Salmon Arm has been contacted and they are sending two avalanche technicians and one search manager to assist the police. They are expected to fly into the area and assess the scene to determine if it is safe to continue to look for the missing person.

The police have not released any information about the age, sex or area the missing person is from.

There have now been 11 people confirmed killed in avalanches in the B.C. backcountry in the past several weeks, including eight snowmobilers buried late last month near Fernie.

With a file from The Canadian Press