About 10 people were reportedly buried by an avalanche in western Austria, local media reported.
The disaster struck around 3 p.m. local time on a face of the Trittkopf mountain between Lech and Zürs, with snowfall down to nearby ski slopes, the Austrian News Agency (APA) said.
He added that several helicopters and search teams quickly made their way to the site near the high-end ski resort of Lech, located in the Arlberg region.
One person was rescued, he said.
“We are doing everything we can to save winter sports enthusiasts,” APA quoted the municipality of Lech as saying.
About 200 people rushed to help with the search and rescuers asked for headlamps so they could continue in the dark.
There are different types of avalanches, but they can be triggered by natural weather or temperature conditions or by people when they disturb unstable snow.
The avalanche followed days of snow in the high alpine region and unusually warm weather on Christmas Day, the APA reported, citing local police.
The Arlberg region in western Austria is famous for its ski and snowboard resorts.
