Avalanche deaths in Austria rise to five amid dangerous conditions

Vienna, February 21, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The number of skiers killed by avalanches in Austria on Friday rose to five, authorities said, in a string of fatal incidents this winter.

Two people were found dead after a slide at a western ski resort. The victims were recovered from the snow but could not be saved, a police spokesman said.

Of three others initially rescued with injuries, one later died in hospital in the evening.

In Klösterle in the province of Vorarlberg, a snowboarder died while descending a steep slope with a companion. Earlier, a German skier was killed by an avalanche in the Tyrolean ski area of Nauders. The man had been skiing off-piste with his 16-year-old son, who survived with serious injuries, police said.

Up to 40 centimetres of fresh snow has fallen in parts of Tyrol in recent days, and authorities warned avalanche conditions remain dangerous. More than 30 avalanches were recorded in Tyrol on Wednesday alone, and three people were killed in Tyrol and neighbouring Vorarlberg.