STAFF at Ski Rossendale were today waiting to hear news of two colleagues who were stranded in Austrian ski resorts after serious avalanches.

Expert skier Geoff Jones was due back to teach at the Rawtenstall dry slope at the weekend, but yesterday was still stuck in Austria as the Tyrol endured its heaviest snowfall in 50 years.

Geoff was in GaltM- r, the scene of two killer avalanches this week which have claimed the lives of 30 people.

Rescuers are still searching for survivors but hopes are fading for the others who are still buried in the snow.

Geoff and his colleague Dave Smith, who was in nearby Ischgl, have telephoned their colleagues in Rawtenstall to let them know they are safe.

Anne Thomas, the slope's booking secretary, said: "We have spoken to them and they are all right, but they can't go skiing and they don't know when they will be able to make their way home.

"Food is being airlifted into the area for all the people who are stuck in the ski resorts."

GaltM- r was hit by a massive avalanche on Tuesday, and the area was still reeling from that when a second 600ft wide wall of snow rolled into the hamlet of Valzur, seven miles to the north east, on Wednesday.

Austrian army helicopters, with reinforcements from the German and US armies, are airlifting foreign tourists out of the blocked-off resorts.

Most of the people in Galtur and Valzur were evacuated, but 1,000 tourists refused to leave, determined not to quit their holidays.

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