emirates7 - The number of skiers killed by avalanches in Austria on Friday has risen to five, authorities said, adding to a string of fatal incidents this winter.

Two people were found dead following a slide in a western ski resort. The victims were recovered from the snow but could not be saved, a police spokesman said.

Of the three others initially rescued with injuries, one later died in the hospital in the evening.

In Klösterle, in the province of Vorarlberg, a snowboarder died while descending a steep slope with a companion. Earlier, a German skier was killed by an avalanche in the Tyrolean ski area of Nauders. The man had been skiing off-piste with his 16-year-old son, who survived with serious injuries, police said.

Up to 40 centimetres of fresh snow had fallen in parts of Tyrol in recent days. Authorities warned that avalanche conditions remain dangerous.

More than 30 avalanches were recorded in Tyrol on Wednesday alone. Three people were killed in Tyrol and in the neighbouring Vorarlberg region.