309 people died in the Austrian mountains last year, the most in a decade

Vienna, April 11 - Last year, 309 people lost their lives in the Austrian mountains, up from 271 in 2023. Last year's figure is also the highest in the last ten years, the website of Austrian radio and television ORF reported.

The Austrian Alpine Safety Authority (ÖKAS) announced on Thursday that the number of deaths in the mountains exceeded the ten-year average of 284 deaths. The number of injured people - 9,324 people - remained at the previous year's level, but also exceeded the ten-year average of 7,982 injured.

Most of the fatalities in the Alps, specifically 67 percent, involved people over 51 years old, and the most common cause of death was, as in previous years, cardiovascular disease. Twenty percent of deaths in the Alps were caused by falls, 16 people died in avalanches.

Last year, 13,999 people suffered injuries while in the Austrian mountains. Almost half of them, 6,260, were injured on the slopes or cross-country ski trails. In the summer, rescue workers treated 3,226 people who were injured while hiking and climbing.

WT.24