Austria: Eight people killed in three avalanches
Austria: Eight people killed in three aval
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At least eight people were killed in a series of avalanches across the Austrian Alps on Saturday, police and mountain rescue services said.
Authorities have warned that conditions remained dangerous after fresh snowfall.
Meanwhile, rescue services deployed more than 200 personnel and several helicopters.
Where did the accidents happen?
The avalanches occurred in the Grossarl Valley of the Salzburg region, in Bad Hofgastein and in Pusterwald of the Styria region.
Four skiers died when an avalanche struck a group of seven off-piste skiers, on the 2,150-metre Finsterkopf peak in the Grossarl Valley in the Salzburg state, rescuers said.
The others were seriously injured, they added.
Earlier, a woman was killed in an avalanche in the Bad Hofgastein area.
Later in the day, three Czech ski tourers died after being buried by an avalanche in the municipality of Pusterwald in the state of Styria, police said.
“Emergency responders were able to locate and partially dig out the buried victims. Despite immediate rescue efforts, the three individuals were found dead,” the police statement said.
Their four companions, who were not caught by the avalanche, were evacuated and provided medical attention, authorities said.
Authorities say situation ‘precarious’
Recently, around 20-50 centimeters of snow have fallen in the Austrian Alps.
Officials said fresh snow is poorly bonded to older snow on the peaks, causing repeated avalanches and urged extreme caution.
The mountain rescue spokesperson called the avalanche situation “precarious.”
Additionally, a German man was killed in an avalanche in neighboring Switzerland on Friday.
