On Friday, heavy snowfall in the Austrian Alps triggered avalanches, killing at least five people. Local authorities reported this, BBC writes .
Illustrative photo. Photo: vecteezy.com
Among the deceased is a 42-year-old German citizen, who was covered by an avalanche along with his 16-year-old son. The teenager was rescued and taken to the hospital. The incident occurred in the Nauders community area near the border with Switzerland and Italy.
Three skiers died near the popular ski resort of St. Anton. Another death was reported in the federal state of Vorarlberg – a snowboarder died there under an avalanche.
According to the police, the avalanche near St. Anton was likely triggered by the actions of the skiers themselves. It is reported that among them were citizens of the USA, Poland, and Austria; one of the Austrians died in the hospital.
Two other men with severe injuries were rescued. Four mountain rescue teams, three helicopters, and other emergency services participated in the rescue operation.
Additionally, in the city of Linz, a 53-year-old man died in another snow-related incident: he was crushed by a snowplow that slipped on the stairs where he was clearing snow.
Snowfalls also caused power outages and transport collapse in some regions of the country. In some areas, roads became almost impassable, and in Vienna, the international airport was temporarily closed. Overall, since the beginning of winter, more than 20 people have already died in Austria due to avalanches.
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