Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:02am on 18 Jan 2026,Sunday International
At least eight skiers have died in a series of avalanches across Austria’s Alps, officials confirmed after heavy snowfall and unstable snow conditions triggered multiple deadly slides on Saturday, 17 January 2026. Three Czech ski tourers were buried and killed in the Murtal district of Styria, while five others died in the Salzburg Pongau region, where two avalanches struck off-piste areas, including the Gastein Valley and Bad Hofgastein. Rescue teams, including helicopters, mountain rescue units and dog squads, responded amid repeated avalanche warnings issued by authorities, who stressed the severity of current conditions for winter sports enthusiasts. (PC: AP)
