Four people buried: Ski group caught in Austrian avalanche

A total of four people were buried in an avalanche in Tyrol, Austria on Thursday while ascending the Ötztal Alps towards an Alpine mountain hut.

Three winter sports enthusiasts lost their lives while one other was injured in the incident, all four members were part of a group of ski tourists visiting from the Netherlands.

The avalanche struck just before 11:00 am local time, as the group were ascending the Ötztal Alps towards the Martin-Busch-Hütte, some 2,501 metres above sea level.

Rescue teams arrived via helicopter to the site, with initial reports suggesting around 18 people were trapped.

Fortunately, many of the group were not in the area. In total, the ski group consisted of 17 skiers with four mountain guides.

At the time of the avalanche, the official risk was deemed as "moderate". This is the second-lowest level in a five tier warning system.