Death Toll in Austrian Alps Avalanche Rises to Four

A person, who was considered to be missing following the deadly avalanche in the Austrian Alps, was found dead with the death toll thus increasing to four people, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier on Wednesday, media reported that the incident, which occurred on the Jochgrubenkopf mountain at about 11:30 GMT, left three people dead and one person missing.

The avalanche hit a group of Swiss skiers, the APA news agency reported. Four skiers managed to dig themselves out of the snow.

According to media reports, the popular ski resorts of Alps and the Pyrenees saw 14 avalanches this year that killed at least seven people.

Powerful avalanches often hit the Austrian Alps. One of the deadliest avalanches hit the resort town of Galtur on February 23, 1999, leaving 31 people dead.