All 10 members of a group of skiers, initially feared buried under snow after being caught in an avalanche in western Austria have been rescued, according to authorities.
The Austrian police confirmed early Monday morning that they had rescued all the missing skiers, that were hit by an avalanche near the resort of Lech-Zuers. The avalanche happened on Sunday at about 3 p.m. local time at an altitude of over 2,700m (8,858ft), triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
Rescue operation
Some 200 rescuers participated in the rescue operation. Several helicopters, searchlights, and avalanche dogs were used in the rescue operation to locate the missing skiers after initial fears they had been buried in the snow.
“According to our current information, it can be assumed that no more people are missing,” police said later, adding that “a security search will be carried out on Monday for final clarification”.
Authorities confirmed four out of the 10 people rescued were injured, including a partially buried man with serious injuries. He was rescued and flown to Innsbruck regional hospital. The other six skiers were not affected by the avalanche.
Details on the nationalities of the skiers have not been shared with the media yet.
Lech-Zuers ski resort
Lech-Zuers markets itself as “one of the best ski areas in the world” and a part of the cradle of Alpine skiing. The ski area at the resort was closed for skiing at 5 p.m. on Sunday according to the resort’s website.
A spokesperson for the resort could not immediately be reached for comment.
What’s an avalanche?
Avalanches are masses of snow, ice, and rocks that fall rapidly down a steep slope, such as a hill or a mountain. Avalanches could be triggered spontaneously, by increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or could involve external triggers such as humans, animals, and earthquakes.