Three people have died after a ski group was swept away during an avalanche in the Austrian Alps.
A fourth member of the eight-strong tour group is missing following the incident in a remote ski resort in the west of the country.
Police in the Tyrol region of the country confirmed the deaths Wednesday and launched a manhunt for the fourth skier near the 2,450m high peak of Jochgrubenkopf.
The group were using touring skis, used to climb and descend mountains, making remote areas accessible, officials revealed.
The nationalities of those in the group are not currently known, police said.
"Four of them were able to free themselves (from the snow)," a spokeswoman for Tyrol police said.
"After the search operation for the remaining four, three were found dead. The fourth person who remains unaccounted for is being sought."
This story is being updated
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