At least five people have died in a series of avalanches across Austria, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The Tirol region government reported that heavy snowfall over the past week, with accumulations of up to 1.5 metres, combined with strong winds and a weak snowpack, created conditions highly susceptible to avalanches.
In the St Anton am Arlberg area, five off-piste skiers were caught in a 450-metre-wide avalanche on Friday afternoon at an altitude of about 2,000 metres. Police confirmed that an American and a Polish national were among the deceased, while a 21-year-old Austrian died later in hospital from injuries sustained in the incident. Rescue operations involved dozens of mountain rescue team members, ambulance and fire crews, and several dog squads.
Earlier on Friday, a 42-year-old German man and his 16-year-old son were caught in an avalanche at the Nauders-Bergkastel resort. The teenager survived with injuries and raised the alarm, but his father was killed. In the neighbouring Vorarlberg region, a 39-year-old Swiss snowboarder died after being caught by an avalanche in an off-piste area near Klösterle.
Tirol's governor, Anton Mattle, expressed sorrow over the incidents, noting that recent snowfall has drawn many people to the mountains, including off-piste areas. His office reported nearly three dozen avalanche incidents on Friday alone, with over 200 in the past week. So far this month, 11 people have died in avalanches. The region warned that no relief is expected on Sunday, with turbulent weather continuing.
