Rescue helicopters on a street near the Gammerspitze after an avalanche killed one person on February 4, 2022. AFP
Rescue helicopters on a street near the Gammerspitze after an avalanche killed one person on February 4, 2022. AFP
Rescue helicopters on a street near the Gammerspitze after an avalanche killed one person on February 4, 2022. AFP
Rescue helicopters on a street near the Gammerspitze after an avalanche killed one person on February 4, 2022. AFP

Nine dead as 100 avalanches hit Austria


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

Nine people died in three days during which more than 100 avalanches struck Austria, authorities said on Sunday.

Most of the avalanches hit the western Tyrol region and there were five deaths on Friday, rescue services said.

Police said that one incident claimed the lives of a group of Swedish skiers going off-piste with a mountain guide in the zone around Ischgl, near the Swiss border.

The guide and four of the group were swept away, with only one member surviving. He called for help and was flown out by helicopter.

Also on Friday, a man aged 60 and his wife, 61, were engulfed while cross-country skiing near the village of Auffach, Tyrol police said.

On Saturday, an Austrian aged 58 was killed at Schirmn near Innsbruck in an avalanche that injured four others.

Further west, an experienced skier, 43, was killed in the popular Vorarlberg region as Austria had exceptional snowfall going into and across the weekend.

Five winter sports enthusiasts were buried by snowfall in the major resort of Soelden but were all rescued.

"The past three days have seen some 100 avalanche-type incidents requiring 70 interventions," Tyrol regional authorities said on Sunday, calling the situation "unprecedented" and warning of more to come.

In recent years, avalanches have claimed about 20 lives annually in Austria, but fewer over the past two years after the pandemic vastly reduced the numbers of skiers.

In neighbouring Switzerland, an avalanche in Reckingen in the south-eastern Wallis region killed a 68-year-old on Saturday and injured a second person, police said.

The two were in a group of four Italian hikers and were quickly found and freed from the snow by the other two. One died at the scene and the other was flown to hospital.

According to a provisional report by the MeteoSwiss weather service on Friday, people have been caught up in 45 avalanches so far this winter.

The bureau urged people to be "careful, careful, careful".

On Thursday, one person died and others were injured in avalanches in Switzerland's Graubunden region, which shares a border with Tyrol.

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Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

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Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)

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A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

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Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

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Director: Spike Lee

Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver 

Five stars

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England (15-1)
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

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Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

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How tumultuous protests grew
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Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier

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ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
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UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman

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Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

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Updated: February 06, 2022, 11:05 PM