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Five off-piste skiers have died in two avalanches in the Austria’s Alps following heavy snowfall in the region.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A similar avalanche swept away a skier in the same area earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
Poor conditions have led to the recent deaths of a number of people in the Alps over the last week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In the latest incidents, the mountain rescue service said it was alerted around 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT).<\/p>\n
Four people were found dead, while another suffered serious injuries, they said.<\/p>\n
Around an hour and a half before, a female skier was buried by an avalanche in open alpine terrain near the same area.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Further avalanches were recorded in the Pongau region around midday, but no-one was injured.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, an avalanche killed a 13-year-old Czech boy skiing in the Austrian Alpine resort of Bad Gastein.<\/p>\n
Last Sunday, 58-year-old skier died in an avalanche in the Tyrolean resort of Weerberg in western Austria.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Last weekend in France, six skiers died after being caught in avalanches in various Alpine resorts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n