Austria: Avalanche accidents claim seven dead
Due to the weather conditions, there were dozens of avalanches in Tyrol on Friday. The number of avalanche deaths has risen to seven. During the night, emergency services are looking for two missing ski tourers.
February 5 update at 8:57 am: After the avalanche accident with five dead in Tyrol in Spiess (Landeck district), a couple died on Friday in the Wildschönau on a ski tour. The two had not returned in the evening, the Austrian police said on Saturday. Relatives alerted the police around 9:40 p.m. A night search operation then began. The two could only be recovered dead.
Two more avalanche deaths in Tyrol – Wildschönau
The 61-year-old woman and the 60-year-old man went on a ski tour from the Schönangeralm in the Wildschönau to the Breitegg peak (1868 meters) on Friday afternoon. The two reached the summit at around 3.30 p.m. and informed a contact person. That was the last contact. When the two had not returned in the evening and were also unavailable by phone, relatives made an emergency call. Alpine police, mountain rescue and the Auffach fire brigade immediately started the search operation.
Drama in Tyrol: Missing couple discovered under avalanche
The forces were supported by three search dogs from the mountain rescue service, the drone from the fire brigade and the police helicopter from Salzburg (Libelle FLIR Salzburg), which is equipped with a thermal imaging camera. From the helicopter, a slab avalanche could be seen south of the Breitegg peak. Search parties then make their way to that area. The two tourers were located under the masses of snow at 12:40 a.m. with the help of avalanche transceivers (LVS). However, they could only be recovered dead.
Tirol Austria: Seven avalanche deaths in one day
With the avalanche in the Wildschönau and the accident on the Swiss border, a total of seven people lost their lives in Tyrol on Friday. The control center in Tyrol received numerous reports of avalanches on Friday. Many of these went smoothly.
Avalanche in Fieberbrunn – 24-year-old seriously injured despite avalanche airbag
In Fieberbrunn, a 24-year-old skier was hit by an avalanche in the Hörndlinger Graben area. The 24-year-old was completely buried. According to the police, the triggered avalanche airbag was still visible on the surface. His companions were able to quickly rescue the buried person. However, the 24-year-old was seriously injured and transported by helicopter to the Zell am See hospital and from there to the Salzburg state hospital. The avalanche at Hörndlinger Graben was triggered at an altitude of 1,800 meters. They were 700 meters long and about 70 meters wide. Alpine police, the police helicopter from Salzburg (Libelle FLIR Salzburg), 20 mountain rescuers, three avalanche search dogs and the Alpin Heli 6 and Heli 1 were involved in the operation.
Five dead after an avalanche: the expert reacted with incomprehension – “shocked and angry”
Update from February 4, 9:15 p.m.: After the avalanche accident with five fatalities on Friday, the head of the Tyrolean avalanche warning service, Rudi Mair, reacted with incomprehension to the behavior of winter sports enthusiasts. “It makes me sad, but I’m also shocked and angry that all the warnings are useless,” Mair told the German Press Agency. For days, the authority had also indicated the critical conditions that had arisen as a result of the fresh snow. Ski tours and off-piste descents currently require a lot of experience in assessing the avalanche danger.
According to official information, Friday was the day with the most avalanches in winter. Over 60 slabs of snow had come loose nationwide. The avalanche warning service had proclaimed avalanche warning level three out of five for all of Tyrol and warned of “considerable” danger.
Tyrol: avalanche on Friday – the number of fatalities rises to five
Update from February 4th, 5.30 p.m.: The person who was still missing after the avalanche in the Austrian state of Tyrol on Friday could only be rescued dead from the snow masses by the mountain rescue team. This increases the number of fatalities in the accident near the Swiss border to five, as the local police confirmed in the afternoon. Another person was flown with findings at a Swiss hospital.
Initially, the rescue workers had only confirmed four fatalities, but suspected another person under the avalanche.
Avalanche in Tyrol: Four fatalities – another person is missing
First report from February 4th:
Innsbruck – An avalanche accident with several fatalities occurred in the Austrian state of Tyrol on Friday morning. In the area of the municipality of Spiss on the border between Austria* and Switzerland*, according to the information provided by the emergency services, a slab of snow broke and caused an avalanche in the area of the Flimspitze (2,929 m).
Avalanche in Tyrol: Four people recovered dead – mountain rescue continues to work
Several people who found themselves in the area at the time of the descent were hit by the avalanche and buried under the masses of snow. According to information from the police, four people have only been able to be rescued dead from the avalanche. Another person was still missing as of Friday afternoon. No statements could be made as of Friday afternoon about the origin and identity of the victims. According to the police, rescue workers are still in the area.
The snow conditions and temperatures well above freezing caused several avalanches in Tyrol. 13 slabs of snow came loose on Friday alone. For the federal state in western Austria, avalanche warning level three (considerable danger) out of five levels applied on Friday.
Austria: avalanche in the ski area – six people saved from the snow masses
Also in the popular ski area of Sölden, an avalanche hit a ski slope and buried several winter sports enthusiasts. According to information from the crown newspaper have recovered six people alive so far. According to the current state of knowledge, it is not clear whether other people were in the area. (fd/dpa) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA