A dramatic avalanche below the Hafelekar mountain station in Innsbruck's Nordkette triggered a major rescue operation on Christmas morning.

Initial fears suggested a group of ten people might have been buried, but authorities later confirmed no one was trapped.

Rescue teams, including helicopters, avalanche dogs, and mountain doctors, were deployed to the scene.

The avalanche danger in the region remains significant, with a warning level of 3 due to heavy snowfall and unstable snow layers.

Experts caution that even individual skiers could trigger dangerous avalanches.

The rescue operation concluded successfully by late morning, with no injuries reported.