Three skiers have been killed after being hit by an avalanche in Austria, while two ski patrollers have died in the French Alps over the weekend.
The bodies of the three skiers, from Germany, were recovered on Saturday evening near the village of Lech in the Austrian Alps, a few hours after they were reported missing.
Police have had to call off the search for a fourth man because of heavy snow and risk of avalanches.
On Sunday morning, two ski patrollers died after the devices they use to trigger controlled avalanches accidentally exploded in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps.
Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, the bodies of two snowboarders were found in the country’s Pirin Mountains.
Rescue workers claim they triggered a cascade of snow after ignoring warnings.
