At least eight people were killed in three separate avalanches in Austria on Saturday, according to mountain rescue services and police. A spokesperson for the mountain rescue service in Salzburg stated that seven people were buried by an avalanche on Saturday afternoon near the summit of Finsterkopf (2150 meters) in the Grossarl valley of Salzburg state. The rescue service found four members of the skiing group dead, while the others sustained serious injuries. Earlier on Saturday, a woman was killed in another avalanche in the Bad Hofgastein area. Police reported a third avalanche incident later on Saturday afternoon in the municipality of Postwald in Styria. The Austrian Alpine Club announced on Sunday that the victims were part of a skiing course organized by the club. Jürg Randle, head of the club's mountaineering department, said: 'Competence in risk management and safety awareness are top priorities in our courses.'
