At least eight skiers have been located dead in the remote Lake Tahoe area of California, US. The eight skiers were earlier reported missing after an avalanche struck on Tuesday. Search crews are still looking for one remaining skier, though authorities now believe that person did not survive either, reported British news website BBC. Officials noted that one of those killed was married to a member of one of the rescue teams, a circumstance they said has made the ongoing operation emotionally difficult.
Fifteen people were initially unaccounted for after a slide roughly the size of a football field swept through the Castle Peak zone at about 11:30 AM local time. Six were pulled out alive.
50 personnel involved in search
Authorities said the eight victims’ bodies remain buried under snow and cannot yet be retrieved because of severe conditions. Since the avalanche, another three feet of snow has blanketed the region, Tahoe National Forest supervisor Chris Feutrier was quoted as saying by BBC. He warned that the danger level remains high.
Once recovery is possible, the remains will be taken to the Placer County morgue, BBC reported. Relatives have been informed, but officials have not released identities. The victims include seven women and two men.
The search effort involved two teams totaling about 50 personnel navigating harsh weather with specialised gear. Crews reached a point roughly two miles from where survivors had set up temporary shelters and had to ski the rest of the way.
Two survivors were unable to walk due to injuries and were carried out before being hospitalised with non-life-threatening conditions, BBC quoted an official. Among those rescued were a guide and five clients from a tour run by an agency, Blackbird Mountain. The full group consisted of 11 recreational skiers and four guides and had been heading back at the end of a three-day excursion when the avalanche hit.
According to the Sierra Avalanche Center, the slide was rated D2.5 on a destructive scale that runs from D1 to D5, indicating a path exceeding half a mile and debris around 6.5 feet deep.
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