Polar bear attack kills woman, boy in Alaska

WALES, Alaska — Two people were killed when a polar bear attacked a remote village in Alaska.

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In a news release, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said troopers received a report of a polar bear attack at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 17. Troopers said that initial reports indicate the polar bear entered the community and chased multiple people before it fatally attacked a woman and a boy.

Troopers said that the bear was shot and killed by a resident while it was attacking the victims, The Associated Press reported.

Wales is a remote community on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula. Troopers said they and officials with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will travel to the scene as weather conditions allow.

The victims were not identified by police, who are working to notify members of their families.

Polar bear sightings in the area are rare, but not unprecedented, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

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