8 Skiers Killed in Series of Avalanches Across Austria

8 Skiers Killed in Series of Avalanches Across Austria

Vienna, January 19 — A series of deadly avalanches struck Austria over the weekend, killing eight skiers in three separate incidents, authorities confirmed, highlighting the severe avalanche danger in the Alpine regions.

In the first incident, a female skier was fatally buried by an avalanche in the Bad Hofgastein area of western Austria at an altitude of around 2,200 metres. The avalanche occurred at approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday, according to the Pongau mountain rescue service.

About 90 minutes later, another avalanche hit the nearby Gastein Valley, south of the city of Salzburg, sweeping away seven skiers. Four people lost their lives, two were seriously injured and one escaped without harm, rescue officials said.

In a third tragedy, three Czech skiers were killed in an avalanche in the town of Pusterwald in central Austria shortly before 4:30 pm, police reported. Four other members of their group were safely evacuated.

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Reacting to the incidents, Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service, said the tragedies underscored the extreme danger posed by current snow conditions.

“This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is,” Kremser said, pointing out that there had been “clear and repeated warnings” issued about the heightened avalanche risk.

Authorities have urged skiers and mountaineers to strictly follow safety advisories and avoid high-risk areas as unstable snow conditions persist across the Austrian Alps.