March 25, 2026, 2:01 AM

This year’s European ski season is witnessing a record number of avalanche fatalities. As of March 16th, 127 people have died in Italy, France, and Austria alone.

Specifically, a serious avalanche on Saturday in the high mountains of South Tyrol, Italy, claimed the lives of two skiers.

The incident occurred at an alтιтude of approximately 2,400 meters on the slopes of Hohe Ferse (also known as Monte Tallone Grande, 2,670 meters high), near the town of Ratschings, in the border region with Austria.

According to the mountain rescue service CNSAS, a total of 25 skiers were buried in the snow. In addition to the two fatalities, three people were seriously injured and two suffered minor injuries.

The avalanche occurred at 11:40 a.m. local time. Emergency rescue operations were deployed with six helicopters and approximately 80 personnel from various forces including CNSAS, the Alpine ᴀssociation, police, and firefighters.

The European Avalanche Warning Services (ASCA) reported an average of only about 100 deaths per snow season. However, this season, from October 1st to March 16th, the number surged to 127, with 33 in Italy, 31 in France, and 29 in Austria.

In early February, coinciding with Italy hosting the Winter Olympics, a horrific week occurred when 13 skiers died in just seven days, 10 of them due to avalanches.

Experts attributed the main cause to the extremely unstable snow cover, combined with the large number of enthusiasts flocking to dangerous off-piste routes after recent heavy snowstorms.

Furthermore, climate scientists believe that the instability of snowfall is partly due to rising temperatures and stronger winds – consequences of climate change.