Overview
- Police and mountain rescue confirmed eight deaths in separate incidents in Salzburg’s Pongau region and Styria on Jan. 17.
- In the Gastein Valley’s Finsterkopf area, an avalanche struck a group of seven off‑piste skiers, killing four and injuring two.
- Earlier the same day, a female skier was buried and died near Bad Hofgastein at about 2,200 meters elevation.
- Later in Pusterwald in Styria, three Czech ski tourers from a group of seven were found dead despite rapid search efforts.
- Rescuers deployed four helicopters, dog teams and roughly 90 personnel, as Salzburg’s avalanche warning level was set at 3 out of 5 due to fresh, poorly bonded, wind‑drifted snow.