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Avalanches claim five lives in Austria's Alps
Two separate avalanches in the Pongau region near Salzburg killed five off-piste skiers on Saturday, as dangerous conditions persist across the Alps.
Saturday's fatal incidents
Rescue teams were called to the Pongau area at approximately 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT) after an avalanche struck a group of seven skiers. Four members of the group died at the scene, while a fifth sustained serious injuries, according to mountain rescue officials.
About 90 minutes earlier, a lone female skier was buried by an avalanche in open alpine terrain nearby. She did not survive.
Recent avalanche deaths across the Alps
This week's fatalities follow a series of deadly avalanches in the region. On Tuesday, a 13-year-old Czech boy died in an avalanche at the Bad Gastein resort in Austria. Last Sunday, a 58-year-old skier perished in Weerberg, a Tyrolean resort in western Austria.
In neighboring Switzerland, a German man was killed and four others injured on Friday while cross-country skiing. Over the past weekend in France, six skiers died in separate avalanche incidents at various Alpine resorts.
Officials warn of severe conditions
Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service, expressed condolences to the victims' families and emphasized the gravity of the current avalanche risk.
"This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is."
Gerhard Kremser, Pongau Mountain Rescue
Additional avalanches were reported in Pongau around midday on Saturday, though no further injuries occurred.
Safety concerns mount
Heavy snowfall has created hazardous conditions across the Alps, prompting warnings from local authorities. Rescue teams urge skiers to avoid off-piste areas and heed avalanche advisories.
