28 minutes agoShareSaveGeorge WrightandRachel HaganShareSave<\/p>\n
Eight people were killed in a series of avalanches in the Austrian Alps on Saturday, following heavy snowfall and dangerous conditions in the region.<\/p>\n
Five people were killed in two avalanches in the Pongau area near Salzburg, local mountain rescue officials said.<\/p>\n
Later that day, three Czech skiers died after being buried by an avalanche in Pusterwald, about 70 miles (110km) away, police confirmed.<\/p>\n
Poor conditions have led to the deaths of a number of people in the Alps over the past week in neighbouring Switzerland and also in France.<\/p>\n
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the families,"said Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service.<\/p>\n
"This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is."<\/p>\n
The incidents in Pongau saw seven ski tourers hit near Finsterkopf mountain, killing four and seriously injuring another.<\/p>\n
In the same area, a female ski tourer was also buried and killed in open alpine terrain.<\/p>\n
Further avalanches were recorded in the region on Saturday, but no-one was injured.<\/p>\n
Following the avalanche that killed three skiers in Pusterwald, four others in the same group rescued by emergency crews. <\/p>\n
"Emergency responders were able to locate and partially dig out the buried victims. Despite immediate rescue efforts, the three individuals were found dead," a police statement said.<\/p>\n
The fatalities follow a deadly week in the alps.<\/p>\n
Last weekend in France, six skiers died after being caught in avalanches in various Alpine resorts and in western Austria, a 58-year-old skier died in in the Tyrolean resort of Weerberg.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, an avalanche killed a 13-year-old Czech boy skiing in Austria's Bad Gastein resort.<\/p>\n
And in neighbouring Switzerland, a German man was killed in an avalanche, and four other people were injured, as they were cross-country skiing on Friday.<\/p>\n