Ten skiers are missing after an avalanche at the Castle Peak ski resort in the US state of California. Six other people survived the fall of the avalanche, the local Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. TASR informs about it according to AP and DPA reports.
- Ten skiers are missing after an avalanche at Castle Peak, California.
- The avalanche hit a group of four guides and twelve guests.
- Six skiers survived the avalanche, but got stuck in the mountains.
- Rescue operations continue, the situation is complicated by a snowstorm.
- An avalanche warning is in effect in the area and resorts are closed due to heavy snowfall.
The affected group consisted of four ski guides and twelve guests. By late afternoon local time, more than 50 rescue operations were underway in the area. Survivors in the area are stuck.
Rescue teams on skis and snowplows battled a blizzard to reach six skiers trapped in an avalanche high in the Northern California mountains, as the risk of more landslides remained high. Six skiers were located and asked to take cover “to the best of their ability,” the sheriff’s office said.
The police previously issued a warning against trips to this area, writes DPA. “Weather conditions remain extremely hazardous,” she said, referring to the avalanche danger that has been in effect since Wednesday. According to the operators of the ski resort, almost 80 centimeters of new snow fell in the area in the last 24 hours. California is being hit by a severe winter storm this week, bringing strong winds and heavy snowfall in mountainous areas.
Castle Peak is located in the vast protected area of Tahoe National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California with the US state of Nevada. The area lies between the capital of California, Sacramento, and the city of Reno. Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were closed in whole or in part due to the extreme weather.
