Austria avalanches kill five near Salzburg as heavy snowfall triggers deadly slides across Alps
SALZBURG, Austria — Five people were killed in two off-piste avalanches in Austria’s Alps today, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported, underscoring a perilous start to the winter after heavy snowfall across the region.
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The deadliest incident struck a group of seven ski tourers in the Pongau district south of Salzburg, where an avalanche swept the party, killing four and seriously injuring another, according to ORF. Mountain rescue officials said the group was traveling outside marked runs when the slide released.
This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is, said Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service, noting the clear and repeated warnings about the avalanche risk.
Earlier in the day, a separate off-piste avalanche in the same area swept away a ski tourer, ORF reported. The woman’s husband alerted rescuers to the accident. Authorities could not immediately be reached for further details.
The deaths add to a grim tally across the Alps following last week’s heavy snowfall and wind, conditions that can rapidly build unstable layers in the snowpack. In the Austrian resort of Bad Gastein, a 13-year-old skiing off-piste was killed by an avalanche on Tuesday. Last Sunday, a 58-year-old ski tourer died in an avalanche at Weerberg in the Tyrolean Alps of western Austria.
Neighboring countries have also recorded fatal incidents. In Switzerland, a German man was killed and four other people were injured in an avalanche while cross-country skiing on Thursday. In France, six skiers died last weekend after being caught in slides in several Alpine resorts.
The cluster of incidents highlights the risk of backcountry travel and off-piste skiing during periods of heightened avalanche danger. Rescue leaders in Austria have urged skiers and snowboarders to heed local advisories, carry appropriate safety equipment, and avoid terrain with elevated exposure as the snowpack stabilizes.
While detailed official bulletins vary by region, avalanche services typically warn that fresh snow combined with strong winds can form cohesive slabs on weak layers, making human-triggered avalanches more likely on lee slopes, in gullies, and near ridgelines. Even experienced ski tourers can be caught off guard by rapid changes in stability after storms.
Today’s fatality in Pongau and the deadly tour group avalanche have put a renewed spotlight on the Salzburg region, where tourism is central to the winter economy and where backcountry excursions are common. Local authorities have not immediately released the identities of the victims or further details on the rescue operations.
ORF said investigations were underway into both Austrian incidents. Mountain rescue officials reiterated calls for caution, emphasizing that venturing off marked pistes demands careful planning, conservative decision-making, and close attention to official avalanche reports.
As the Alpine winter progresses, officials across Austria, Switzerland and France are likely to maintain elevated warnings where fresh snowfall and wind persist, urging visitors and residents alike to respect closures, travel with companions, and equip themselves with transceivers, probes and shovels when leaving controlled terrain.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
