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Austria: Rescuers find all missing people after avalanche

Published December 25, 2022last updated December 26, 2022

All 10 people who were reported missing have been rescued after an avalanche hit the skiing area of Lech and Zürs in the state of Vorarlberg.

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A rescue helicopter is seen parked near the site of an avalanche in Austria
Rescue crews used specially trained dogs and seven helicopters to search for victims after Sunday's avalancheImage: Expa/Peter Rinderer/APA/dpa/picture alliance

All 10 people who were reported missing after an avalanche have been rescued, Austrian police said early on Monday.

The avalanche started around 3 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Sunday in the area of the 2,700-meter (8,858-foot) Trittkopf peak in the skiing area of Lech and Zürs in the state of Vorarlberg.

What is the latest?

Shortly before 1 a.m. (0000 UTC), police declared the search and rescue operations successful, Austrian news agency APA reported.

"According to our current information, it can be assumed that no more people are missing," police said in a statement.

Rescuers had been searching for 10 people after a video of the avalanche showed them in the area of the cascading snow, APA reported.

Rescue crews are pictured near the scene of an avalanche in Austria
Teams worked into the night to locate the remaining missing victimsImage: Expa/Peter Rinderer/APA/dpa/picture alliance

 Authorities initially feared that all had been buried in Sunday's avalanche.

Rescuers said six of the missing people were unharmed, while four people were injured. One of the injured sustained serious injuries and was air-lifted to a hospital in the city of Innsbruck.

Rescuers initially found eight people, and later located the last two victims during the night.

Rescue teams used several helicopters and avalanche dogs. Searchlights were set up on the snow mass to continue the search after darkness fell.

High avalanche danger in Alps

There was no information immediately available on the identity of the victims.

The avalanche followed days of snow in the high Alpine region and unseasonably warm weather on Christmas Day.

The local mountain rescue service had rated the avalanche danger as "high."

In recent years, avalanches in Austria have killed about 20 people on average each year.

rs, dh/jcg (dpa, AP, AFP)

Ski resorts in the Alps