Avalanche Tragedy in the Alps: Eight Dead Across Austrian Mountain Regions

A devastating series of avalanches swept through the Austrian Alps on Saturday, January 17, 2026, killing at least eight people amid widely unstable snow conditions. The tragic events mark one of the deadliest days in recent alpine history, prompting urgent warnings from authorities.

Multiple Fatal Accidents

The deadliest incidents occurred in western Austria’s Salzburg state, where avalanches struck off-piste terrain in the Pongau region.

• Bad Hofgastein: A female skier was buried in open alpine terrain and could not be revived.
• Gastein Valley (Finsterkopf): About 90 minutes later, a massive slide swept across a group of seven skiers. Four people were killed, two were seriously injured, and one survived unhurt.

In central Austria’s Styria province, authorities confirmed a separate tragedy in the Murtal district near Pusterwald. Three Czech ski tourers were swept away by a slab avalanche. Police confirmed that although rescuers located and dug out the victims, all three were found dead.

This follows the heartbreaking news earlier this week of a 13-year-old boy killed in an avalanche in Sportgastein, bringing the weekly death toll to startling heights.

“Warnings Were Clear”

“Despite clear and repeated warnings, numerous avalanches occurred again today—unfortunately with fatal consequences,” said Gerhard Kremser, head of the Pongau mountain rescue service.

The conditions were ripe for disaster: heavy fresh snowfall on top of a weak, unstable base layer created a “trap” for off-piste skiers. This instability has been exacerbated by the volatile weather patterns, swinging from extreme cold to rapid thaws, similar to the conditions that triggered flood warnings in Lower Austria earlier this month.

Rescue Efforts

Rescue operations were massive in scale, involving helicopters, alpine police, mountain rescue teams (Bergrettung), Red Cross dog squads, and crisis intervention units. Teams worked in treacherous terrain, risking their own lives to locate victims.

Ongoing Risk and Public Safety

Authorities emphasized that Avalanche Warning Level 3 and 4 (Considerable/High) persist across high-altitude areas. People traveling off marked ski pistes including ski tourers and freeriders are urged to strictly heed official forecasts.

“This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is,” emergency officials said. As rescue and forensic teams continue their investigations, Austria’s mountain safety services will reinforce advisories to prevent further loss of life in the coming days.