Eight dead in three avalanches in the Austrian Alps

Eight people died this Saturday after being hit and swept away by three large snow avalanches in the Austrian Alps, in the federal states of Salzburg and Styria, reported the public radio and television ORF.

In the first accident, in the well-known alpine center of Bad Hofgastein, in Salzburg, a woman practicing ski touring, that is, off prepared slopes, died after being swept away by an avalanche before the eyes of her husband.

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Less than two hours later, around 2:00 PM local time (1:00 PM GMT), four other skiers died from an avalanche in the nearby Grossarltal valley – also in Salzburg – at about 2,200 meters altitude and about 300 kilometers west of Vienna. Three other skiers from the same group survived the incident: one was unharmed, another suffered minor injuries, and the third is in serious condition. According to local authorities, some 90 rescuers, several of them with dogs, and four helicopters were deployed in the area to find and rescue survivors. “Despite clear and repeated warnings, numerous avalanche detachments occurred again today, unfortunately with a fatal outcome,” said Gerhard Kremser, head of the alpine rescue service of Pongau, in Salzburg. At night, the Austrian authorities reported a third major avalanche, which occurred in the state of Styria, south of Vienna, where three skiers died. A group of seven athletes was swept away by an avalanche in the town of Pusterwald, causing the death of three of them, all of Czech nationality. About 150 rescuers, supported by three helicopters and several dogs, participated in the search for the mountaineers in Styria.