Vienna, Austria, 19 January (H.S.): Three devastating avalanches swept through Austria's snowy terrains on Saturday, January 17, 2026, claiming the lives of eight skiers despite explicit and repeated avalanche alerts from authorities.

First Tragedy Strikes Bad Hofgastein

The initial incident unfolded around 12:30 p.m. in the Bad Hofgastein area of western Austria, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 meters (7,200 feet). A female skier was fatally buried under the snow in open alpine terrain, prompting an immediate response from the Pongau mountain rescue service.

Rescuers mobilized swiftly, underscoring the perilous conditions exacerbated by recent heavy snowfall.

Gastein Valley Catastrophe Follows

Merely 90 minutes later, near 2:00 p.m., a massive avalanche in the adjacent Gastein Valley—south of Salzburg—engulfed seven ski tourers near Finsterkopf mountain. Four perished, two sustained serious injuries, and one escaped unscathed.

Four helicopters, Red Cross dog teams, alpine police, and a crisis intervention unit rushed to the scene, highlighting the scale of the operation.

Czech Skiers Perish in Pusterwald

The day's toll mounted shortly before 4:30 p.m. in Pusterwald, central Austria's Styria region, where an avalanche killed three Czech nationals. Four companions were safely evacuated.

Officials Lament Black SaturdayGerhard Kremser, head of the Pongau mountain rescue service, described the events as a stark reminder of the avalanche peril: This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is, amid clear and repeated warnings.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar