A 13-year-old Czech skier has been killed in an avalanche while skiing off-piste at the Austrian resort of Bad Gastein, marking the country's second such tragedy in just three days.
Tragedy Strikes at Bad Gastein
The fatal incident occurred around midday on Tuesday. According to Andreas Kandler, the chief of Bad Gastein's mountain rescue service, the child was skiing with another minor when a sudden snow flurry swept him away. Despite the swift response from emergency teams, rescuers were tragically unable to revive the boy.
A Dangerous Alpine Weekend
This latest fatality follows a weekend marked by heightened avalanche danger across the Alps, triggered by several days of heavy snowfall. On Sunday, a 58-year-old ski tourer lost his life in an avalanche in the Tyrolean resort of Weerberg in western Austria.
The situation has been equally severe in neighbouring France, where six skiers died over the weekend after being caught in several separate avalanches at various alpine resorts.
Authorities Issue Stern Warning
In light of the recent deaths, mountain rescue chiefs are issuing urgent warnings to winter sports enthusiasts. Gerhard Kremser, the mountain rescue chief for the Pongau region in central Austria, specifically urged people to exercise extreme caution when venturing above the tree line, where the avalanche risk is currently acute.
The persistent and substantial new snow has created unstable layers on many slopes, significantly increasing the danger for anyone leaving marked and secured pistes. This series of incidents serves as a stark and tragic reminder of the powerful and unpredictable nature of the alpine environment in winter.
