The Sulzenauferner Glacier at the Stubai ski area is visible near Innsbruck, Austria, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
An avalanche on the Stubai Glacier in the Austrian Alps buried several skiers and snowboarders on Thursday morning, according to Austrian media.
Three injured skiers were subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Tyrol, Austria, following rescue efforts. The severity of their injuries remains unclear, according to the Austria Press Agency.
Emergency services organized a massive search and rescue operation involving 250 people, rescue dogs and helicopters. Nine people were rescued alive, according to APA.
Snow covers the mountains at the Stubai glacier in Neustift im Stubaital, Tyrol, Austria, on Nov. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Around midday, the emergency operation was still ongoing and it was not known whether more people remained buried under the snow.
The avalanche occurred in the Daunscharte pass, a hazardous area outside the protected ski runs. The heaps of snow also reached a lower section of the piste, forcing it to be closed.
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