INNSBRUCK, Austria (AP) – Six people were killed when an avalanche trapped them under eight feet of snow as they hiked in the Alps of Western Austria, according to authorities.
A 45-year-old man was the sole survivor when the group was hit by the avalanche at an altitude of about 3,000 meters, rescuers said Sunday.
Authorities said the bodies of the victims had been recovered.
The group was buried by the tumbling snow Saturday afternoon while hiking not far from the popular Soelden ski resort in Austria’s alpine province of Tyrol. A rescue effort was mounted late Saturday, but had to be suspended overnight because of bad weather.
The Austria Press Agency quoted police officials as saying five victims were from the Czech Republic and the sixth was Slovak.
Avalanches claim dozens of lives in the Austria Alps each year.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.