Fresh avalanches kill five skiers in AustriaMatthias RöderDeutsche Presse AgenturSat, 21 February 2026 9:26AM
The number of skiers killed by avalanches in Austria has risen to five, adding to a string of fatal incidents this northern winter.
Two people were found dead on Friday following a slide in the western ski resort of St Anton am Arlberg.
The victims were recovered from the snow but could not be saved, a police spokesman said.
Of the three others initially rescued with injuries, one later died in hospital in the evening. Authorities were not immediately able to provide details on the victims’ ages or nationalities.
In Klösterle, in the province of Vorarlberg, a 39-year-old Swiss man died while snowboarding down a steep slope with a 47-year-old German man. The 39-year-old triggered a snow slab, was swept away for about 250 metres and completely buried. His companion was unharmed.
Earlier, a 42-year-old German skier was killed by an avalanche in the Tyrolean ski area of Nauders. The man had been skiing off-piste with his 16-year-old son, who survived with serious injuries, police said.
The pair were attempting to cross a north-facing slope when a slab of snow about 400 metres wide broke loose, sweeping them some 200 to 300 metres downhill.
Up to 40cm of fresh snow had fallen in parts of Tyrol in recent days. Authorities warned that avalanche conditions remain dangerous.
More than 30 avalanches were recorded in Tyrol on Wednesday alone.
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