Two people were rescued, one of whom was unconscious, after the landlslide Thursday morning at the Large Snow Valley near the 2,932-meter (9,619-feet) Shirokumadake mountain in central Japan, a local village official said.

Nagano police said they were notified of the incident at 7:30 amand suspect another three to four people were buried in the landslide.

"A police officer stationed at the mountain during the summer climbing season saw a large-scale landslide, and the officer believes three to four people were buried alive," a village spokesman said.

Trekking in the area is hugely popular during spring through summer, when flowers flourish beside the snow-covered valley.