Austraian ski group swept away, three killed

  • 16/03/2017
Generic image of a skier (Getty)
They were killed in a remote area near the Jochgrubenkopf peak (Getty)

Three people have been killed after their ski touring group was swept away by an avalanche in western Austria, and a fourth person is missing, police in the Tyrol region say.

On Wednesday rescuers were still hunting for the missing person in the remote area near the Jochgrubenkopf, a roughly 2450m-high peak.

The group of eight people was using touring skis, with which one can climb and descend, making remote areas accessible.

Their nationalities were not yet known, police said.

"Four of them were able to free themselves [from the snow]," a spokeswoman for Tyrol police said.

"After the search operation for the remaining four, three were found dead. The fourth person who remains unaccounted for is being sought."

Reuters