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Emergency services at the scene of the accident: ski area in Lech/Zürs in Austria
Photo: Unknown / dpa
In an avalanche in the Austrian ski area Lech/Zürs in Vorarlberg, around ten winter sports enthusiasts were probably buried.
A skier could be rescued after a relatively short time, as reported by the Austrian news agency APA, citing the police.
The remaining victims were searched for with avalanche search dogs and helicopters.
According to the municipality of Lech, almost 200 people were in action in the evening, who took part in the search on the avalanche cone.
All headlights and emergency vehicles in use
After dark, the use of the helicopters was terminated.
The avalanche cone was illuminated and the search continued on the ground, reports the Austrian newspaper Der Standard.
All available emergency vehicles and headlights are in use, said Hermann Fercher from the operations center in the Ö1 evening journal.
This also includes eight helicopters capable of flying at night, which are available for rapid evacuation if people are found and rescued from the avalanche.
"We're doing everything we can to rescue the winter sports enthusiasts," said Fercher, "if necessary, all night long." In order to be able to continue the search for the buried people in the dark, searchlights were requested.
Tents were set up at the valley station to provide first aid to the injured.
According to the Austrian news agency, the avalanche went off around 3 p.m. in the area of the 2,720-meter-high Trittkopf in open terrain.
In its foothills she had reached the ski slope.
A lot of snow had fallen in the high alpine terrain in the past few days.
According to the police, spring-like conditions prevailed in the Arlberg ski area on Sunday.
At the same time, according to the avalanche warning service, the avalanche danger was considerable.
jpa/dpa