Washington [US], February 20: The bodies of eight backcountry skiers were recovered after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, authorities said on Wednesday.
A ninth skier who went missing in the Castle Peak area is presumed dead, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told a press conference.
The victims were part of a 15-member group - nine women and six men - including ski guides, officials said. They were caught in the avalanche on Tuesday following days of heavy snowfall in the popular recreation area.
Six others were rescued alive. Two were taken to hospital, and one has since been discharged, Moon said.
More than 50 emergency responders were deployed to the scene. Extreme weather conditions meant it took several hours for rescue teams to reach the survivors, the sheriff's office said.
Ski area operators said nearly 70 centimetres of snow had fallen in the previous 24 hours alone. The avalanche occurred north-west of Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border.
Source: Qatar Tribune
