US Edition5 skiers killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria
Two avalanches in Salzburg Pongau killed five off-piste skiers amid heavy snowfall and warnings, with rescue teams involving about 90 personnel responding to the incidents.
- On Saturday, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported five off-piste skiers died in two avalanches in the Pongau area, near Salzburg.
- Since last week, heavy snowfall has produced unstable avalanche conditions across the Alps, while open alpine terrain increased exposure with a skier buried earlier the same day.
- An off‑piste avalanche struck a group of seven ski tourers in Pongau on Saturday, killing four and seriously injuring one, while earlier a female skier was buried after her husband called for help.
- Pongau mountain rescue officials said the current avalanche situation is serious, district head Gerhard Kremser said, and rescuers could not immediately be reached while further avalanches occurred around midday without injuries.
- Across the Alps, reports show several deaths since last week, including six in France, a German man in Switzerland, and fatalities in Bad Gastein and Weerberg, Tyrol.
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111 Articles
In many parts of the Alps, the avalanche situation is explosive. Nevertheless, the ski tourer does not seem to deter. In three cases, excursions in the snow ended fatally.
At least 8 killed in avalanches across Austria
At least eight people have been killed in several avalanches across Austria, according to local media reports. Mountain rescue teams were first alerted at about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday after an avalanche struck open terrain near Bad Hofgastein, according to the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung. A female ski tourer was buried by the avalanche. Despite resuscitation efforts, she died at the scene. Around 2 p.m., mountain rescue was called again af…
Bad weather has caused at least nine deaths in the Alps in the last week.
After heavy snowfall and several deaths, off-piste skiers are urged to be very careful in Austria.
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