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Eight Killed in Austrian Alps After Series of Weekend Avalanches

Officials cite weak bonding between new and old snow after recent snowfall, urging avoidance of ungroomed terrain.

Overview

  • In Salzburg, a woman died at the Schmugglerscharte near Bad Hofgastein around midday Saturday after being buried despite resuscitation attempts.
  • About 90 minutes later at the Finsterkopf in the Großarltal, a seven-person group was swept away; four were found dead, with one seriously and one slightly injured.
  • In Styria’s Pusterwald area, seven Czech ski tourers were caught later in the day; three died as roughly 150 responders, dog teams and three helicopters joined the search.
  • Swiss police reported a separate fatality on Friday at Piz Badus in Tujetsch, where a German national died and four others were injured from a seven-person party.
  • Authorities report a level-3 avalanche danger in higher terrain due to unstable layers, with victim identifications and formal investigations still underway.