US scout leaders die at jamboree

President George W Bush is expected to speak at the jamboree

Four US boy scout leaders have been killed in an electrical accident at the scouts' national meeting, or jamboree, in the US state of Virginia.

The four adult volunteers, from Alaska, were setting up camp when they were electrocuted. Two others were hurt.

A statement issued by the scouts said a thorough investigation was under way.

More than 40,000 boy scouts and leaders from around the world have gathered for the jamboree. President George W Bush is due to speak there on Wednesday.

Bill Haines, chief executive of the Western Alaska Council of the Boy Scouts, said the men who died had been among eight Alaskan leaders selected for the trip.

Power line

Two of the those killed had brought their own sons with them to the jamboree, he told the Associated Press news agency.

Officials from the Boy Scouts of America said one other leader from Alaska and a contract worker were being treated in hospital. Boys and leaders have been offered counselling.

Details about how the accident happened remain unclear.

Preliminary investigations suggested a tent pole may have struck an overhead power line, the Washington Post newspaper cites a Caroline County sheriff as saying.

Jamboree spokeswoman Renee Fairrer said the 80-strong Alaskan contingent had been moved to another part of the campsite at Fort AP Hill, a US army training base.

"The jamboree will go on," she told AP.

The event is scheduled to last 10 days, with tens of thousands of scouts living in tents and taking part in activities including archery, fishing and cycling.