The victims were part of a 17-person ski touring group from the Netherlands that was on an ascent towards a mountain refuge with four Austrian guides, the Tirol state police said in a statement. Ski touring involves skis with special bindings and skins that make moving uphill possible.

“Shortly before 11am, during an ascent towards the Martin Buesch Shelter east of the Talleit Peak, an avalanche roughly 180m long and 80m wide occurred,” the statement said.

The avalanche swept away four members of the group, two of whom were dead when rescuers found them. The two others were rescued injured; one was flown to hospital by helicopter and the other remained on the mountain, the statement said.

The skier who remained on the mountain died, a police spokesman said later.