GALTÜR — 1999 · Major Tragedy
Galtür Avalanche
On 23 February 1999, after weeks of heavy snowfall, the ski village of Galtür in Tyrol's Paznaun valley was struck by a huge powder avalanche travelling at around 290 km/h. Parts of the village classified as a safe 'green zone' were hit; 57 people were buried and 31 died, including 25 tourists. With the roads closed, more than 50 helicopters from five countries evacuated thousands of people stranded in the valley. Afterwards hazard zones were redrawn, steel barriers were installed on the slopes and an avalanche dam roughly 300 metres long was built above the village.
- Date
- 1999
- Place
- Tyrol, Austria, Galtür, AT
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 46.9675, 10.1867 ↗
Timeline of Events
- February 1999Weeks of heavy snowfall hit the Alps.
- 23 February 1999An avalanche struck Galtür; 31 people died.
- 24 February 1999An international helicopter airlift began evacuating thousands.
- AfterwardsHazard maps were revised and an avalanche dam was built above the village.
Sources
- BBC News — Avalanche toll rises (1999) news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- BBC Horizon — Avalanche (1999) bbc.co.uk ↗
- Wikipedia — 1999 Galtür avalanche en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.