Austria in the grip of snow: Heavy toll and complete disruption of life.

A severe snowstorm swept through Austria on Friday, leaving five people dead, widespread travel disruption, and power outages, authorities announced.

Police reported that a 53-year-old man died in the northern city of Linz after being struck by a snowplow within a residential complex, while a group of four skiers perished in avalanches in the Tyrol region.

Authorities in Tyrol have warned skiers against venturing into unsafe and unprepared areas, noting that the number of avalanche fatalities in Austria this winter has risen to 21, with the danger expected to persist for several days.

Since Thursday, parts of the mountainous country have been covered in up to 40 centimeters of snow, prompting special warnings for southeastern Austria, particularly the area around the city of Graz.

In Vienna, the airport resumed operations in the afternoon after being suspended for several hours in the morning.

The capital’s outer ring road (A21) was temporarily closed, and access to some sections of highways was disrupted due to snow accumulation, stranded trucks, and reduced visibility.

Electricity companies reported power outages affecting thousands of homes, particularly in the south and east of the country, with 30,000 homes affected in the Styria region alone.

In neighboring Slovenia, approximately 40,000 homes were impacted by the storm, with reports of significant disruption in the northeast of the country.