A seventh person has died in Austria following a series of avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall over the weekend, authorities confirmed Monday. The latest fatality was a 21-year-classic man who was caught in a slide although skiing off-piste on Hoher Zinken mountain, according to reports from Austrian news agency Kronen Zeitung.
The avalanche occurred on Sunday afternoon, involving a group of six skiers. A large-scale rescue operation, involving approximately 120 personnel, was launched, but the man could not be saved. Earlier on Saturday, a 41-year-old man died after being buried by an avalanche in Tyrol, at an altitude of around 1,600 meters. He was recovered and transported to a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.
The deaths bring the total number of avalanche-related fatalities in Austria since Friday to seven. The initial wave of incidents prompted warnings of high avalanche danger across much of the Austrian Alps. According to Skiinfo.se, snow levels in Austria are currently 160% of the normal average, with a total snow depth averaging 188cm across the country.
Authorities continue to urge extreme caution for skiers and snowboarders venturing off-prepared slopes. The high avalanche risk remains in effect and rescue teams are on standby. No further details regarding potential preventative measures or investigations into the avalanches have been released at this time.
