(Adnkronos) – At least three people were trapped under the snow after an avalanche hit a popular tourist resort in the Austrian Tyrol. Rescue efforts are underway to recover them after the avalanche broke off around 9:30 AM in the ‘Red Slope 9’ area, near the Daunscharte section of the ski resort above Neustift im Stubaital. Two people have been rescued, sustaining minor injuries. A major search and rescue operation is underway on the Stubai Glacier to save those still trapped, involving several mountain rescue teams, helicopters, and search dogs. The area is subject to intense searches to locate any other victims.
The number of people affected and the exact circumstances remain unclear. According to Reinhard Klier, head of the Stubai Glacier ski lifts, the landslide was triggered by skiers proceeding outside the marked slopes. “Based on current information, the avalanche was triggered by off-piste skiers. The snow masses partially reached the lower part of slope 9, which was subsequently closed,” Klier stated.
According to local media Meinbezirk.at, several winter sports enthusiasts were on slope 9 when the avalanche debris reached the lower part. Authorities are investigating the incident, and ski area operators have urged visitors to stay within designated slopes due to unstable snow conditions in off-piste terrain.
