Ten skiers are missing after an avalanche occurred in the Castle Peak ski area in the US state of California.
02/18/2026, 04:4602/18/2026, 05:38
Six other people survived and were still at the scene of the avalanche, the local Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said. There they waited to be rescued. The group consisted of four ski guides and twelve guests. It was said that more than 50 rescue missions were in operation until late afternoon (local time).
California is also currently being hit by heavy snowfall.Image: keystone
Capt. Russell Greene said in an interview with regional television station KCRA 3 that the sheriff’s department was notified through the tour operator and through emergency signaling devices. The emergency services tried to get through to the people. “It will be a slow and arduous process as the emergency services will have to be extremely careful due to the still very high risk of avalanches,” he continued. In the evening (local time) they had not yet reached the point where the avalanche started.
The emergency services warned against trips to the area. “The weather conditions continue to be extremely dangerous,” it said, referring to an avalanche warning that was in effect until Wednesday. According to the operators in the ski area, almost 80 centimeters of snow had fallen in the past 24 hours alone.
Castle Peak is located in the Tahoe National Forest on the border with the US state of Nevada. The area lies between the Californian capital Sacramento and Reno. (sda/dpa)