Wellington  - New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits centre was ordered Friday to pay 480,000 New Zealand dollars (268,800 US dollars) in fines and compensation after six students and their teacher died in a flooded canyon.

The centre admitted charges that it failed to ensure the safety of a group from Auckland's Elim Christian College whose members were swept to their deaths April 15 in the Mangatepopo Gorge near Turangi in the central North Island.

On top of fines totalling 40,000 New Zealand dollars, a judge in the Auckland District Court ordered the centre to pay 60,000 New Zealand dollars compensation to each of the victims' families and 5,000 New Zealand dollars to each of four survivors of the tragedy.

The Department of Labour told the court that four storm warnings had been issued that day and the centre should not have used the canyon, which experienced a flash flood after heavy rain, Radio New Zealand reported. (dpa)