Five people have reportedly died after two separate avalanches struck the Austrian Alps in Salzburg today (Saturday, January 17), with eight skiers buried in one off-piste tragedy
Five people have tragically lost their lives following two separate avalanches in the Austrian Alps, according to reports.
Tourists exploring the popular Salzburg mountains in the Pongau region were met with a horrifying scene on Saturday (January 17) when an off-piste avalanche buried eight skiers. The incident resulted in four fatalities and left one person seriously injured, local broadcaster ORF claims.
A massive team of 90 rescuers rushed to the scene in a desperate bid to find survivors, reports the Mirror. Earlier in the day, another avalanche reportedly swept away a female skier in the same area, her husband raised the alarm. This comes after significant snowfall in the Alps over the past week, leading authorities to caution tourists about skiing.
Gerhard Kremser, district manager of the Pongau mountain rescue service, stated: “Despite clear and repeated warnings, numerous avalanches occurred again today – unfortunately with fatal consequences.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is.”
Just last Tuesday, a 13 year old girl was killed by an avalanche while skiing off-piste in the Austrian Alpine resort of Bad Gastein. The previous week, on Sunday, another skier, aged 58, died in an avalanche at the Tyrolean resort of Weerberg.