Avalanche kills 2 in Austrian Alps

Two skiers died after being buried by an avalanche in the Austrian alpine state of Tyrol around midday Thursday, local authorities said.

The victims, a father and his son, were caught in the avalanche below the summit of Rosskopf mountain in the Tux Alps. Emergency services recovered their bodies following a large-scale search operation, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported.

Heavy snowfall in Tyrol this week has considerably heightened the risk of avalanches in the region. On Thursday, the area where the accident happened registered an avalanche warning level of three out of five, indicating a significant risk, according to ORF.