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Avalanches Kill Nine in the Alps and Pyrenees

Rescue agencies say the avalanches struck despite clear warnings, underscoring a precarious snowpack with persistent risk.

Overview

  • Eight people died in three separate avalanches in Austria’s Salzburg and Styria regions on Saturday, according to local authorities.
  • In Salzburg, a ski tourer was killed near Bad Hofgastein, and four skiers died in Grossarltal where three others from the group survived, including one in serious condition.
  • In Pusterwald, Styria, an avalanche swept a group of seven, killing three skiers who were all Czech nationals.
  • Search operations deployed roughly 90 rescuers and four helicopters in Salzburg and about 150 rescuers with three helicopters in Styria, supported by avalanche dogs.
  • On Sunday in Spain, a skier died after being caught off-piste in Cerler’s Barranco de Puimestre, marking the fifth avalanche fatality in the Aragonese Pyrenees in recent weeks.