In Austria, an avalanche occurred in Vorarlberg on Sunday. Emergency services initially assumed that 10 people were missing, but all have now been rescued.
Update from December 26, 7:10 p.m.: After the avalanche on the Arlberg in Austria, in which a total of four people were injured, there is still a high risk of avalanches in the region in the coming days. The spokesman for the task force, Hermann Fercher, warned of this on Monday in a conversation with the SWR.
In general, the avalanche in the area was quite surprising, said Fercher. On Sunday morning, avalanche blasts were still being carried out in the area, which, according to the spokesman, are usually “sufficient to prevent such incidents.” Nevertheless, in his eyes, the accident could have been worse if the snow on the ski slope wasn’t already there would have acted around the end of the avalanche.
But the danger is not over yet, the spokesman said SWR go on. The avalanche warning level over 2,300 meters is still at warning level three, so it is “considerable.” The fresh snow in the area ensures that the risk will remain for the next few days.
Avalanche accident in Austria becomes a Christmas miracle: this video shows the descent on the ski slope
Update from December 26, 11:15 am: It is a proverbial Christmas miracle that happened in Austria on December 25th. After an avalanche on the Arlberg in Austria, there is now certainty: all ten people who were initially missing were rescued alive. Four people were injured by the avalanche, one seriously. Around 100 emergency services started a safety search on Monday to make sure that no other winter sports enthusiast was actually buried under snow masses.
A video that has now appeared on the TikTok platform is said to show the massive avalanche on Sunday. Due to the video, emergency services had expected ten winter sports enthusiasts to be caught. The video that has now appeared has not yet been verified, but there is no doubt that the avalanche recorded is also the Christmas avalanche on Sunday. On it you can see: a meter-high avalanche and a total of ten winter sports enthusiasts on the slopes. Although it initially appears on the video that all athletes must have been caught by the avalanche, most of them got off lightly. The police announced in the evening that fortunately six of the people had not been caught by the avalanche.
Avalanche on the Arlberg in Austria: security search started
Update from December 26, 10:10 am: After the avalanche on the Arlberg in Austria, a safety search began on Monday. You should rule out that winter sports enthusiasts are still buried under the masses of snow, said the spokesman for the task force. “There are around 100 helpers on duty.” However, there is still no missing person report. Everything indicates that one seriously and three slightly injured will remain. The seriously injured was a German guest who had been flown to the clinic in Innsbruck. No information was initially given about his identity.
According to the operations management, the other three injured were only touched by the avalanche. Then they drove down into the valley. “Anyone involved in an avalanche should report, that would make the work easier,” said the spokesman for the operations center, Hermann Fercher. The video of a ski guest showed ten winter sports enthusiasts who had been more or less caught by the avalanche. Therefore, the authorities had assumed a significant possible number of victims. The avalanche cone, which is several meters high, was occasionally searched by around 200 helpers on Sunday.
Avalanche accident in Austria: all missing people saved – video previously caused concerns among rescuers
Update from December 26, 06:01: After the avalanche on the Arlberg in Austria, all missing people are saved. Four people were injured, one of them seriously, as the state police in Vorarlberg announced early Monday morning. According to the current state of knowledge, no one is missing. Originally, the emergency services had assumed ten winter sports enthusiasts who could have been buried by the snow masses on the slopes on Sunday. The video of a ski guest suggested this conclusion. The police have now announced that the other six people were not caught by the avalanche.
Avalanche in the Lech/Zürs ski area: rescue operation ended
According to the police, the search and rescue operation was stopped late Sunday evening. For security reasons, a search will be carried out this Monday “for final clarification”.
Update from December 25, 8:40 p.m.: After the avalanche in the Austrian Lech/Zürs ski area, there is good news to report. Because in the evening, the emergency services gave the all-clear: Eight of the alleged ten buried winter sports enthusiasts are said to have been rescued alive krone.at reported.
Avalanche in Austria: Eight people rescued alive – the search for other winter sports enthusiasts continues
The search for two other people who are said to be buried under the snow masses from the avalanche in Vorarlberg in Austria continues. The mission should last until there is certainty, according to the emergency services. However, the chances of the missing person surviving more than five hours after the avalanche are classified as low if they were caught by the avalanche. The search for the other missing people is difficult because the snow piles up to four meters high.
Avalanche in Austria: 200 people involved in the search operation – “do everything to save the winter sports enthusiasts”
About 200 people involved in the search operation. Since darkness was already beginning to make the search difficult in the afternoon, searchlights were requested in order to be able to continue the search and, for example, to illuminate the avalanche cone. “We’re doing everything we can to save the winter sports enthusiasts,” said the municipality of Lech.
The use of eight helicopters was stopped in the evening. However, they are still on standby to take any injured people to the hospital.
Avalanche in Vorarlberg in Austria: operations manager says – avalanche “went off the slopes”
Update from December 25, 7:45 p.m.: After an avalanche in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, the police continue to assume that ten winter sports enthusiasts were buried in the Lech/Zürs ski area on Sunday afternoon. According to current information from the police, an exact number of buried people could not be finally determined as of 6:30 p.m.
In addition, more information about the avalanche in Austria has become known. According to operations manager Hermann Fercher kurier.at, the avalanche probably went down the middle of the slope. “According to the current state of knowledge, it broke loose in open terrain and then went off onto the piste. Police investigations are ongoing.”
Avalanches in Austria: Avalanche “in the middle of the slope” – “Freerider” as the cause?
The exact cause of the avalanche in Vorarlberg is not yet known. Therefore, it cannot yet be ruled out that a “freerider” could have triggered the avalanche in the Lech/Zürs ski area. Nisher maintains that one person was recovered during the rescue work. The remaining winter sports enthusiasts have not yet been found, while the rescue and search operation continues in the dark. Meanwhile, some of the helicopters have been suspended because they do not have the specialized equipment for such a rescue operation in the dark.
Avalanche in Austria: Ten people buried after an avalanche
First report from December 25, 6:20 p.m.: Bregenz – In an avalanche in Austria, several people were probably buried by snow masses. The avalanche occurred on Sunday afternoon (December 25) in the open ski area of Lech and Zürs. According to initial findings, around ten winter sports enthusiasts have been buried. The rescue operation is in full swing after the avalanche in Austria, as the police also announced on Sunday. Helicopters, search parties and avalanche search dogs were deployed. One person had already been rescued with injuries, the police said. The injured man was flown to the hospital in Innsbruck for treatment.
Avalanche in Austria: Ten people buried in the Lech/Zürs ski area in Vorarlberg
The avalanche came off around 3:00 p.m. in the area of the Trittkopf. Shortly thereafter, several helicopters, including three from Tyrol, and several search parties were on the way to the avalanche cone on the 2,720 meter high mountain.
Avalanche in Austria: Another avalanche in Tyrol
Away from the accident in Vorarlberg, another avalanche occurred in Austria early on Sunday morning. Unlike in Lech/Zürs, however, the free ski area of Sölden (District Imst) in Tyrol did not end well.
Although a search operation of around two and a half hours with 40 helpers and several dogs was triggered, the all-clear could be given, as the police informed the Austrian news agency APA. Originally, the emergency services had feared that the avalanche in Sölden could have buried a person under snow masses. However, this concern turned out to be unfounded.
Avalanche in Austria: Avalanche in Sölden without buried people
According to the mountain rescue service, the avalanche in the Tyrolean Alps was released shortly after 12.30 p.m. on the Tiefenbachferner near the mountain station. In the Tyrolean mountains, as was the case throughout Austria at the beginning of December, the avalanche danger for winter sports enthusiasts on Sunday was tricky. The avalanche warning service pointed to a high susceptibility to disruption of the snow cover, the probability of avalanches was classified as high.
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