Snow avalanches within the Alps – eight folks die in Austria on Saturday | EUROtoday

There is a robust hazard of avalanches within the Alps. In Austria, eight folks died in three accidents in simply at some point. Within lower than every week, 17 skiers died within the snow, together with a German.

Eight folks died in a number of avalanches in Austria on Saturday. Three members of a seven-member Czech ski touring group died within the Murtal in Styria, native police mentioned. According to mountain rescue companies, a complete of 5 folks died in two avalanches in Salzburg’s Pongau. The hazard of avalanches is at the moment excessive within the Alps following heavy snowfall; 17 skiers have died because the finish of final week, together with a German in Switzerland on Friday.

A complete of seven folks had been buried within the avalanche within the Murtal, the police mentioned on Saturday night. Emergency companies had been in a position to find and dig out the Czech ski tourers, however three of them had been solely confirmed useless. The remaining 4 members survived the accident in Pustertal and obtained emergency medical care. In addition to round 150 mountain rescue staff, the police and hearth brigade, search canine and three emergency medical helicopters had been additionally concerned within the operation.

Two deadly avalanches had beforehand been reported from Salzburg’s Pongau. The first snow slab got here off in Bad Hofgastein on Saturday afternoon. As the mountain rescue service within the state of Salzburg introduced, a ski tourer was buried off the slopes within the “Schmugglerscharte” space. Her husband alerted mountain rescue companies, however makes an attempt at resuscitation had been unsuccessful. According to the mountain rescue crew, a rescue helicopter, a canine unit and the Red Cross disaster intervention crew had been concerned within the operation.

Just an hour and a half later, one other avalanche broke out in Pongau, killing 4 ski tourers. According to the Salzburg mountain rescue service, the snow slab within the Finsterkopf space within the Großarltal took a complete of seven winter sports activities lovers with it. One particular person survived the accident unhurt, there was additionally one critically injured and one barely injured.

A canine squad, a Red Cross disaster intervention crew and several other helicopters from the emergency companies and police had been additionally used on this operation. There was initially no details about the identification of the victims, because the Austrian information company APA reported.

“It painfully shows how serious the current avalanche situation is”

“Despite clear and multiple warnings, numerous avalanches occurred again today – unfortunately with fatal consequences,” defined the district supervisor of the Pongau mountain rescue, Gerhard Kremser. “This tragedy painfully shows how serious the current avalanche situation is.” On Saturday afternoon, winter sports activities lovers triggered extra avalanches in Pongau, however there have been no accidents from these descents.

On Friday, a person from Germany died in an avalanche on the Piz Badus mountain in Tujetsch in Switzerland. A complete of seven members of a ski touring group had been caught within the snow. Four of them suffered minor to average accidents.

The different avalanche fatalities in current days had been a 13-year-old Czech in Bad Gastein, Austria, and a 58-year-old in Weerberg within the Austrian state of Tyrol. In addition, six folks died in avalanches in varied locations within the French Alps.

AFP/purpose

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