A series of avalanche accidents in the Austrian Alps has led to numerous deaths. In a very short time, fatal incidents were reported from different areas. This caused the total number of avalanche victims since the start of the year to rise to at least 13. The state of Salzburg was particularly affected, where a group from the Alpine Club was caught by the masses of snow in the Pongau region.
Rescue teams were constantly busy locating and recovering people buried under the snow. Despite immediate rescue efforts, the bodies of several winter sports enthusiasts could only be recovered. Experts from the avalanche warning services describe the current situation as extremely delicate. New snow combined with strong winds has formed wind-drifted snow deposits. These deposits can slide away even with little extra weight, such as from a single skier.
Warnings were issued especially for areas in Tyrol, Salzburg, and Vorarlberg. The authorities urgently appeal to all mountain sports enthusiasts not to leave the marked slopes and to study the avalanche situation reports very carefully. Many of the accidents happened in the 'off-piste' area, away from the secured downhill runs, where the danger is currently rated as particularly high due to the unstable snow cover.
