At least 5 killed in a wave of avalanches in western Austria

VIENNA — At least five people, including an American, have been killed in a wave of avalanches in western Austria, authorities said Saturday.

The government office of the Tyrol region said intense snowfall over the last week led to accumulations of up to 5 feet. Combined with windy conditions and weak snowpack below, the conditions were especially susceptible to avalanches, it said.

Tyrol police said five backcountry skiers were caught up in a nearly 500-yard-wide avalanche Friday afternoon in the St. Anton am Arlberg area at an altitude of about 6,500 feet.

The news comes days after an avalanche in Northern California killed nine people on a backcountry ski excursion.

In Austria, an American and a Pole were among the five found dead, and a 21-year-old Austrian died of injuries after being taken to a hospital, police said.

Dozens of mountain-rescue team members, ambulance and fire department staffers, as well as several dog squads, were deployed for the operation.

Late Friday morning in the Nauders-Bergkastel resort to the southeast, a 42-year-old German man and his 16-year-old son were caught in an avalanche. The teen survived with injuries and called for help, but his father died.

In Klösterle in the neighboring Vorarlberg region, a 39-year-old Swiss snowboarder was caught and killed by an avalanche in a backcountry area, regional police said.

“The recent snowfall is currently drawing many people to the mountains — even off-piste,” Tyrol Gov. Anton Mattle said in a statement, using a term that refers to backcountry activities. “It is painful that we have already had to record several avalanches with injuries and fatalities.”

His office said nearly three dozen avalanche incidents were reported Friday, among more than 200 over the last week. So far, 11 people have lost their lives in avalanches this month, the governor’s office said.

“No relief is in sight for Sunday, either,” the region office said. “The weather remains turbulent.”