Rescuers search for survivors after another deadly avalanche hits European ski resort

The warning level was at ‘moderate’ but fears are more avalanches could follow

Skiers ride down the slopes at Riffelberg with Mount Matterhorn in the background. The area was hit by a deadly avalanche this year (AP)

An avalanche near the Austrian ski resort of Soelden on Thursday left one person dead, authorities said. Rescuers were searching for another two people believed to be buried under the snow.

The mountain rescue service said a fourth person was partly buried and recovered with injuries, the Austria Press Agency reported.

The avalanche apparently happened near a mountain refuge, the Martin-Busch-Huette, at about 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level. Rescuers were able to reach the site only by helicopter.

Officials initially suspected that up to 18 people might be involved, but those fears turned out to be unfounded. Most of the 17 people in the area at the time weren’t hit by the avalanche.

The avalanche warning level was “moderate,” the second level on a five-tier scale, but experts warned of the possibility of avalanches caused by loose snow.

The Otztal Alps (Rudi Wyhlidal)

In April this year an American teenager and two other people were killed in an avalanche near the Swiss resort of Zermatt.

The avalanche happened in an off-piste area of the Riffelberg, above the resort and below the famed Matterhorn peak. Rescuers recovered three bodies and the injured skier, a 20-year-old Swiss man.

The victims were a 15-year-old American boy, as well as a man and a woman whose identification has not yet been concluded, police in Valais canton (state) said in a statement. They gave no further details, but said they currently have no information on the woman’s identity.

Scientists have expressed serious concerns about the safety of winter sports in Europe as climate change triggered a rising number of avalanches and deaths.

Avalanches caused by melted snow from warmer temperatures are increasing, posing a serious threat to countless families heading to ski resorts across Europe for holidays.

Avalanches claim an average of 100 lives in Europe every year, according to the European Avalanche Warning Service.

A total of 130 people were killed in avalanches over the 2020/2021 season, up from the 53 who died in 2019/200. The deaths mainly happened in France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Norway.

This is despite massive strides in the technology used to forecast potential avalanches over the past few decades.