Ammon News - Two snowboarders have been confirmed dead after their bodies were recovered following an avalanche in western Austria over the weekend, police said Monday.

Avalanches across the Alps have claimed several victims in recent days following heavy snowfall.

An avalanche struck two 37-year-old off-piste snowboarders on the Stubai glacier in Tyrol province, burying them under the snow, police said in a statement.

The two Austrian men were reported missing after they had not returned from their snowboarding trip, prompting a large-scale search operation that included dogs and drones.

The buried snowboarders were located on Sunday night, but emergency services "could only confirm the death of the two men", Reuters quoted the statement as saying.

A level-four avalanche risk warning out of five is currently in place in the area following heavy snowfall in recent days.

In neighboring Italy, two skiers were killed on Sunday and another was in serious condition after an avalanche struck a slope near Courmayeur.

Avalanches have already killed several dozen people across the French, Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps so far this season.

Asharq Al-Awsat