Three skiers died in Austria on Sunday after being hit by avalanches, local authorities said.
Two avalanche deaths were reported in Tyrol (west). In the Fiss region, a 71-year-old holidaymaker died on a ski slope, rescue workers told the Austrian News Agency (APA). In the Navis Valley, a 44-year-old German skier died.
In the neighboring state of Vorarlberg, where a warning of a "high risk" of avalanches (Category 4) had been issued, a skier was buried in the snow and found dead.
Meanwhile, last Monday, two Austrians who were snowboarding on the Stubai Glacier in Tyrol were swept away by an avalanche, resulting in their deaths.
Authorities in Italy and Switzerland have been on high alert in recent hours, ordering evacuations of areas in the Alps after extreme snowfall and a growing risk of new avalanches. Within hours, weather conditions deteriorated sharply, leading to road closures and the evacuation of residents and tourists, as avalanches and snowdrifts several meters high covered mountain communities.
