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Five Die in Salzburg Avalanches and German Skier Killed in Swiss Alps

Authorities warn of precarious avalanche conditions driven by fresh snow on weak layers.

Overview

  • Two separate avalanches in Austria’s Salzburg state on Saturday left five people dead in free alpine terrain.
  • A woman was buried around 12:30 at the Schmugglerscharte near Bad Hofgastein and died despite resuscitation efforts after her husband raised the alarm.
  • Around 14:00 at the Finsterkopf in the Großarltal, a seven-person tour group was caught, with four found dead, one seriously injured, one lightly injured and one unhurt.
  • Rescuers deployed about 90 mountain responders, several helicopters, search dogs and Red Cross crisis teams, while additional skier-triggered slides in Hüttschlag and Großarl caused no injuries.
  • In Switzerland on Friday at Piz Badus in Graubünden, a seven-person group was hit by a slide that killed a German skier as four others were rescued with light to moderate injuries.