NEED TO KNOW
- Five people died in two avalanches that occurred about 90 minutes apart on Saturday, Jan. 17
- The avalanches in western Austria also injured two people
- “This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is,” a mountain rescue official said following the fatalities
A pair of back-to-back avalanches has led to multiple fatalities in western Austria.
Five people were killed in two different avalanches in the country’s Salzburg Pongau region on Saturday, Jan. 17, ABC News, CNN and the BBC reported, citing the Austria Press Agency (APA). The avalanches were preceded by heavy snowfall in the area, according to the BBC.
One person, identified only as a female skier, died in the first avalanche, which occurred near the town of Bad Hofgastein at an altitude of about 7,200 feet, the outlets reported, citing the APA.
About 90 minutes later, another fatal avalanche struck, this time in the Gastein Valley, located in the Salzburg region.
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Four individuals, who have also not been publicly identified, were killed in the second avalanche, which swept away seven people in total, according to the outlets.
The Gastein Valley snow slide also injured two people, one of whom sustained serious injuries, the outlets reported, citing the APA.
The emergency response detail on the scene of the second avalanche was extensive, including not just mountain rescue, but four rescue helicopters, a crisis intervention team and Red Cross dog teams, according to the APA.
A spokesperson for the Pongau mountain rescue service did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Gerhard Kremser, district head of the mountain rescue service, noted that there have been “clear and repeated warnings” about the avalanche risk in the Austrian region in a statement to the APA.
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“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families,” Kremser said after the Jan. 17 snow slide. “This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is.”
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There were other avalanches in the Pongau region the same day, around midday, but there are no other recorded injuries, the BBC reported.
Several other recorded avalanche fatalities have occurred recently, according to the outlet.
In the past week, a 13-year-old boy and a 58-year-old were killed in separate avalanches while skiing at resorts in western Austria, per the BBC.
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