At least five people killed in string of avalanches in Austria

At least five people died in Austria on Friday due to a series of avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall and strong winds. The avalanches occurred in the Tirol and Vorarlberg regions, specifically in St. Anton am Arlberg, Nauders-Bergkastel, and Klösterle. Victims included off-piste skiers and snowboarders from the United States, Poland, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Rescue teams responded to dozens of avalanche incidents on Friday, part of over 200 reported in the past week, bringing the month's death toll to 11. Authorities warn that unstable weather conditions are expected to persist, increasing avalanche risk.

Five people died in avalanches across the Austrian Alps on Friday due to heavy snowfall. A German man was killed in Nauders, while his son was hospitalized. Three skiers died near St. Anton, with reports suggesting they triggered the avalanche themselves; victims included American, Polish, and Austrian nationals. A snowboarder also died in Vorarlberg. The incidents bring Austria's avalanche-related death toll to at least 21 this winter. Elsewhere, a man in Linz died after being crushed by a snow plough. The heavy snowfall caused power outages and transportation disruptions, including the temporary closure of Vienna International Airport and impassable roads in Styria.

On Friday, February 20, 2026, three people died in a series of avalanches in the Austrian Alps amid severe weather warnings. One avalanche near Nauders-Bergkastel killed a 42-year-old German man while he was skiing off-trail with his son, who survived with injuries. Another avalanche near St. Anton am Arlberg trapped five people, resulting in two fatalities and one hospitalization. Austrian police reported multiple other avalanche-related rescue operations, including one where a bus was pushed off the road and another where a skier was rescued after being partially buried. These incidents occurred during a period of heightened avalanche risk in Austria, following eight skier deaths in avalanches the previous month.