According to the Austrian news agency APA, the avalanche went off around 3 p.m. in the area of the 2,720-meter-high Trittkopf, foothills even reached the ski slope. Initially, the authorities assumed that there were possibly ten buried people.
The police relied on the video of a skier. Six people could be seen on it, but according to the police, they were not caught by the avalanche. The emergency services had previously rescued a winter sports enthusiast, another was able to free himself and was later treated in the hospital. After two missing persons, the emergency services continued to search on Sunday evening.
The rescue and search operation with helicopters and avalanche detection dogs continued after dark. According to APA, eight helicopters, more than 200 rescue workers and avalanche detection dogs were used in the rescue and search operation.
At the weekend, the rescue workers warned of a high risk of avalanches in this area and in neighboring Tyrol and pointed out the fragility of the snow cover at milder temperatures. In recent years, around 20 people have died in avalanches in Austria every year.
