Five off-piste skiers have died in two avalanches in Austria's Alps following heavy snowfall in the region.
An avalanche struck a group of seven skiers in the Pongau area near Salzburg, killing four and seriously injuring one on Saturday, according to local mountain rescue officials.
A similar avalanche swept away a skier in the same area earlier in the day.
Poor conditions have led to the recent deaths of several individuals in the Alps over the last week.
In the latest incidents, the mountain rescue service was alerted around 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT).
Four people were found dead, while another sustained serious injuries.
Approximately an hour and a half earlier, a female skier was buried by an avalanche in open alpine terrain close to the same area.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is, stated Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service.
Further avalanches were documented in the Pongau region around midday, but no injuries were reported.
On the previous Tuesday, an avalanche claimed the life of a 13-year-old Czech boy skiing in the Austrian Alpine resort of Bad Gastein.
Last Sunday, a 58-year-old skier died in an avalanche at the Tyrolean resort of Weerberg in western Austria.
In neighboring Switzerland, a German man was killed in an avalanche, and four others were injured while cross-country skiing on Friday.
Last weekend in France, six skiers perished in various avalanche incidents across Alpine resorts.
