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Crans-Montana avalanche: Search for buried skiers in Switzerland continues after snow slide injures at least four

Mountain rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors after an avalanche at a Swiss ski resort that injured at least four.

Nearly 250 rescue workers, medical team members, police officers and military personnel backed by eight helicopters and a dozen search dogs were deployed after the avalanche on Plaine Morte, a mountain in the town of Crans-Montana, officials said.

One person was in critical condition after being extracted from the chunky snow that spilled over the Kandahar ski slope, Commander Christian Varone of the Valais regional police said.

Three others were "superficially" injured following the incident.

Local media had reported that up to 12 people may be trapped.

Rescue crew work on the avalanche site in the ski resort of Crans-Montana (EPA)
Rescue crew work on the avalanche site in the ski resort of Crans-Montana (EPA)

Roughly half of the 840-meter-long (920-yard) avalanche made a direct hit across the ski slope.

Rescue crews work on the avalanche site in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland (EPA)
Rescue crews work on the avalanche site in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland (EPA)

Witnesses told officials that other people could be buried under the layer of snow.

Police said they would not provide estimates of how many people might be trapped under the snow.

An alarm sounded shortly before 2.30pm, minutes after the avalanche hit the slope at Crans-Montana, which is located 180 milometers (114 miles) east of Geneva, resort operator CMA said.

Valais prosecutor Catherine Seppey said authorities were investigating what triggered the avalanche, citing weather conditions or skier behaviour as possibilities.

Switzerland's Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research had put the risk of an avalanche in the area at level 2, which is relatively low on its 5-point scale.

Michele Vizzino, who manages the La Violette restaurant near the gondola that runs up to the peak, said he heard the avalanche but didn't see it. Video from the site showed skiers on the slopes above a trail of lumpy snow after the avalanche.

The avalanche comes ahead of a weekend women's World Cup event involving top skiers such as Switzerland's Lara Gut on the Mont Lachaux run at Crans-Montana.

Event spokesman Hugo Steinegger said two companies of Swiss military forces - totaling about 180 people - who had been deployed for the races were quickly dispatched to the avalanche site to help with the rescue.

He said the avalanche was not expected to affect the start of the event, which begins with training runs on Thursday.