The slide occurred near Kiruna, Sweden. Photo: Niklas Jonasson // Unsplash
This European ski season has been plagued by avalanches. The latest occurred at a popular Swedish ski resort, where multiple trapped skiers prompted a massive rescue effort.
As The Independent reports, the slide occurred Wednesday afternoon in Vassitjåkko, south of Riksgränsen in Sweden’s Kiruna municipality. Authorities were alerted at 1:45 p.m. local time that as many as 10 people had been reportedly swept away and trapped underneath the snow. In the 45 minutes it took for rescuers to arrive, other skiers managed to dig out five trapped victims.
A large response was mobilized, which included seven fire engines, two ambulances, and one helicopter responding to the incident. Swedish authorities even enlisted the aid of their Norwegian counterparts, who provided additional rescuers and a helicopter.
At the time of publication, the extent of the injuries of the rescued skiers, as well as the number or status of any remaining buried skiers, is unknown.
Heavy snowfall has created for an unusual amount of avalanches this European ski season. The European Avalanche Warning System (EAWS) has reported 127 fatalities for the 2025-2026 season – above the annual average of 100.
