Two separate avalanches in Austria’s Alps have claimed the lives of five off-piste skiers amid heavy snowfall.
The first avalanche struck a group of seven skiers in the Pongau area near Salzburg, killing four and seriously injuring one. Earlier the same day, another avalanche in the same region buried a female skier, who later died.
Mountain rescue officials warned that hazardous conditions have contributed to several recent deaths across the Alps. Additional avalanches in the Pongau region around midday caused no injuries.
This week alone, multiple incidents have occurred:
- A 13-year-old Czech boy died in Bad Gastein, Austria.
- A 58-year-old skier was killed in Weerberg, Tyrol.
- In Switzerland, a German man died while cross-country skiing, and four others were injured.
- In France, six skiers lost their lives in avalanches at various Alpine resorts.
Gerhard Kremser, head of Pongau mountain rescue, expressed condolences:
“This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is.”
Authorities continue to warn skiers to exercise extreme caution and monitor weather conditions closely.
