Avalanches Kill Ten in Austrian and Swiss Alps

About ten Tourists from New Zealand, China, and Germany have reportedly died in several avalanches across the Austrian and Swiss Alps.

Following intense snowfall and wind in the area, the Austrian authorities put in place a level four avalanche alert – the second highest – but despite the warnings, ski resorts in western Austria have been filling up due to school holidays in Vienna.

On Sunday, Austrian police announced five deaths including that of a 59-year-old man who was using a snow plow in the western region of Tyrol.

The bodies of a ski guide in Sankt Anton am Arlberg and a 62-year-old man who was cross-country skiing around the summit of Hohe Aifner.

On Saturday, a 17-year-old New Zealander, a 32-year-old Chinese national, and a German man in his 50s – who were all said to be skiing off designated ski trails when avalanches hit – were also found dead.

Also in Switzerland, a 56-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were also killed by unstable snow in the southeast canton of Graubuenden on Saturday morning. Swiss police said a third member of their group managed to escape unharmed.

Credit: BBC