Avalanches kill five off-piste skiers in Austrian Alps

Avalanches kill five off-piste skiers in Austrian Alps5 hours agoGeorge WrightPongau mountain rescue serviceThe avalanches hit the Pongau area, near SalzburgFive off-piste skiers have died in two avalanches in the Austria's Alps following heavy snowfall in the region.An avalanche hit a group of seven skiers in the Pongau area near Salzburg, killing four and seriously injuring one on Saturday, local mountain rescue officials said.A similar avalanche swept away a skier in the same area earlier in the day.Poor conditions have led to the recent deaths of a number of people in the Alps over the last week.In the latest incidents, the mountain rescue service said it was alerted around 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT).Four people were found dead, while another suffered serious injuries, they said.Around an hour and a half before, a female skier was buried by an avalanche in open alpine terrain near the same area."Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is," said Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service.Further avalanches were recorded in the Pongau region around midday, but no-one was injured.On Tuesday, an avalanche killed a 13-year-old Czech boy skiing in the Austrian Alpine resort of Bad Gastein.Last Sunday, 58-year-old skier died in an avalanche in the Tyrolean resort of Weerberg in western Austria.In neighbouring Switzerland, a German man was killed in an avalanche, and four other people were injured, as they were cross-country skiing on Friday.Last weekend in France, six skiers died after being caught in avalanches in various Alpine resorts.