Austrian Alps: Six dead as two avalanches hit two separate areas
Five hikers were killed in an avalanche in central Austria, while a police officer died in a later incident in the south west.
Monday 9 March 2020 06:13, UK
Six people have died after avalanches hit two separate areas of the Austrian Alps on Sunday, according to local authorities.
In the central Dachstein area, a location popular with hikers, five people were killed after an avalanche hit a snowshoeing group at 9.30am local time.
A second incident in the south-western Grossglockner area killed a police officer just a few hours later.
All five of the victims from the earliest incident are believed to be from the Czech Republic, and were said to already be dead by the time rescuers managed to reach them.
They had been hiking at an altitude of around 2,800m (9,180ft) when they were hit, Austria's ORF broadcaster reported.
Meanwhile, the police officer, a 33-year-old from the country's Carinthia region, had been undergoing Alpine training when he was caught up in the avalanche
The country's interior minister Karl Nehammer later said the officer had "suffered such serious injuries that he died at the scene of the accident."
He added: "The death of a young employee is a severe blow, especially in such tragic circumstances - for both the family and for the closest colleagues.
"I express my deepest sympathy for the family and assure them of my full support.
"Thousands of police officers carry out dangerous tasks for our democratic coexistence every day.
"Let us take this tragic accident as an opportunity to visualise the dangers associated with the police service."