Rescuers are searching for two people feared buried by a huge avalanche in western Austria, local media have reported.
Up to 10 people were initially feared missing, according to a witness video.
But eight of those individuals have been identified and are alive, according to the dpa news agency, citing a spokesman for the rescue team. They are from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, Croatia and Bosnia, tourism officials said.
One person quickly recovered, officials said. No further information is known at the moment.
About 200 rescue workers were searching the avalanche path near the luxury ski resort of Lech in the Arlberg region.
The avalanche hit a face on the Trittkopf mountain between Zürs and Lech at around 15:00 local time (14:00 UK), and the released snow fell to nearby ski slopes, the agency said of the Austrian Press (APA).
Several helicopters and search teams were soon rushed to the scene, he added.
“We are doing everything possible to rescue winter sports fans,” the APA quoted the municipality of Lech as saying.
The search would continue “throughout the night if we have to,” Lech-Zuers tourism director Hermann Fercher said during an interview with Austrian public broadcaster ORF.
Searchlights were set up in the snow to continue the search after dark, and dogs were used to try to find the missing.
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 unusually warm weather on Christmas Day, APA reported, citing local police.
The Arlberg region in western Austria is famous for its skiing and snowboarding resorts.