At least five people killed in string of avalanches in Austria | Austria

At least five people have died in a series of avalanches in Austria, authorities said Saturday.

Last week’s heavy snowfall led to accumulations of up to 1.5 meters (5 ft), the Tirol region government office said. Conditions were said to be particularly susceptible to avalanche formation, with strong winds and poor snow cover below.

Tyrolean police said five off-piste skiers were caught in an avalanche about 450 meters wide in the St Anton am Arlberg area, at an altitude of around 2,000 metres, on Friday afternoon.

Police said an American and a Pole were among the five dead whose bodies were found after the avalanche, and a 21-year-old Austrian died of injuries after being taken to hospital.

Dozens of mountain rescue team members, ambulance and fire personnel, as well as a large number of dog teams were assigned to the operation.

A 42-year-old German man and his 16-year-old son were caught in an avalanche in the southeastern resort of Nauders-Bergkastel late Friday morning. The young man escaped with injuries and asked for help, but his father was killed.

A 39-year-old Swiss snowboarder was caught and killed by an avalanche in an off-piste area in Klösterle in the neighboring Vorarlberg region, regional police said.

“The recent snowfall is currently drawing many people into the mountains, even off-piste,” Tirol governor Anton Mattle said in a statement. he said. “It is painful that we already have to record so many avalanches with injuries and deaths.”

His office said nearly three dozen avalanche incidents were reported Friday, among more than 200 incidents last week. According to the statement made by the governor’s office, 11 people have died due to avalanches so far this month.

“There does not appear to be any relief for Sunday either,” the regional office said. “The weather is still turbulent.”