Rescuers launch search after avalanche on Austrian glacier buries skiers and snowboarders

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Several skiers and snowboarders were buried Thursday morning in an avalanche on the Stubai Glacier in the Austrian Alps, according to Austrian media reports.

Three injured skiers were airlifted to a hospital after being rescued in Tyrol, Austria, according to the Austria Press Agency. It was unclear how serious their injuries were.

Emergency services organized a massive search and rescue operation involving 250 people, rescue dogs and helicopters. Nine people were rescued alive, according to APA.

Around midday, the emergency operation was still ongoing and it was not known whether more people remained buried under the snow.

The avalanche occurred in the Daunscharte pass, a hazardous area outside the protected ski runs. The heaps of snow also reached a lower section of the piste, forcing it to be closed.