About 10 people are feared to have been buried by an avalanche in western Austria, local media has reported.
The disaster struck at about 3pm local time on a face on the Trittkopf mountain between Lech and Zürs, with released snow tumbling as far as nearby ski runs, the Austrian Press Agency (APA) said.
It added that several helicopters and search teams soon raced to the site near the upmarket Lech ski resort, which sits in the Arlberg region.
One person has been rescued, it said.
“We are doing everything we can to rescue the winter sports enthusiasts,” APA quoted the municipality of Lech as saying.
About 200 people scrambled to help with the search, and rescuers requested headtorches so that they could continue in the dark.
There are different types of avalanches, but they can be triggered by natural weather or temperature conditions or by people when they disturb unstable snow.
The avalanche followed days of snow in the high alpine region and unseasonably warm weather on Christmas Day, the APA reported, citing local police.
The Arlberg region in western Austria is famous for its ski and snowboard resorts.