Several skiers and snowboarders have been buried in an avalanche on the Stubai Glacier in the Austrian Alps, according to Austrian media reports.
Three injured skiers were airlifted to a hospital after being rescued on Thursday morning (Thursday night AEDT) in Tyrol, Austria, according to the Austria Press Agency. It was unclear how serious their injuries were.
Emergency services organised 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 November 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
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.