Snow-pummeled Europe suffered even more avalanche-related disasters this week. An avalanche struck Austria’s Galtuer ski area Tuesday, charging as far as the base area and killing at least nine people, though the death toll is expected to rise. Twenty others were pulled out of the slide alive, with another 20 victims still missing. This could be the country’s greatest death toll due to avalanche in 45 years, during the heaviest snow season in 50 years.

A weekend avalanche in Switzerland has claimed seven lives as well. In addition, two tourists died in an avalanche in southern Romania over the weekend, and five French skiers and hikers were reported missing in the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Rescue efforts across Europe are hampered by continued snowfall, which has been causing problems in western Austria for a week now, leaving 20,000 tourists stranded. Austria is sending requests abroad for additional helicopters to aid in the search of avalanche debris. Swiss television says about 60,000 people were snowbound in the resorts of Davos and Klosters.

News compiled by Eric Hansen, Nate Hoogeveen, Jane Maguire, and Mary Catherine O'Connor of Outside magazine.