Three dead and one injured in an avalanche in the Pyrenees of Huesca

BarcelonaAn avalanche on Tablato Peak in the Pyrenees of Huesca has buried four hikers near the Panticosa spa, killing three of them. According to sources from the Aragonese government, a woman sustained minor injuries and is being treated for hypothermia. The group consisted of six people who were ski touring and came from the Basque Country. The other two skiers managed to escape the avalanche, according to several local media outlets. The emergency services received a call about the accident around 1 p.m., as reported by the Civil Guard to Europa Press. Following the call, the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM), the air unit, and a doctor from the 061 emergency medical service were activated and are still working in the area. According to sources in the Aragonese mountaineering community, the avalanche area is very popular with ski touring enthusiasts, as it has a 1,000-meter vertical drop.

The victims were swept away by the snow. In statements to the media, the Director General of the Interior of the Aragonese government, Miguel Ángel Clavero, specified that the snow had not buried the mountaineers, with the exception of one who was found partially buried, and that all had injuries from the impacts suffered during the slide. Clavero also indicated that the victims' bodies are still at the accident site, awaiting transfer to the Forensic Anatomical Institute of Aragon, once the court order for the removal of the bodies is issued.

Around 4:00 PM, the bodies of the three skiers were recovered by the Civil Guard's emergency and rescue services. The President of the Aragonese government, Jorge Azcón, announced via social media his decision to cancel his schedule for Monday, "shocked by the tragic news of the mountain accident." The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) maintains the avalanche risk level in this area at two out of five.