I amm Austrian ski area Avalanche in Lech/Zürs in Vorarlberg. According to emergency services, fewer people were buried under the snow than initially thought. According to a spokesman for the task force on Sunday evening, rescue workers are currently considering only two possible victims.
Ten people were originally thought to be buried because of a witness’ video, but eight of the ten have now been identified. They were safe and did not come out of the fallen avalanche. “There is also the belief that we do not have information about missing persons,” the spokesman said.
After the accident, a skier was rescued from the snow. Several helicopters and search teams were deployed along with avalanche search dogs. Searchlights were also flown to continue rescue operations at night.
About 200 people are involved in the rescue operation
According to the community, nearly 200 people stopped by the evening and participated in the search in the avalanche cone. “We are doing everything we can to save winter sports enthusiasts,” the municipality of Lech said. According to a police spokesperson, the avalanche reached the slopes of the Tritkop ski area in Lech at an altitude of 2,700 meters and buried the winter sports enthusiasts there.
Significant avalanche risk after snowfall in recent days
Over the past few days, there has been heavy snowfall in the high alpine terrain. According to the police, spring conditions prevailed in the Arlberg ski area on Sunday. At the same time, the risk of avalanches decreased According to the Avalanche Warning Service.
With information from dpa, Reuters and AFP
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