Five off-piste skiers died in two avalanches in Austria's Alps after heavy snowfall on Saturday. The first avalanche struck a group of seven skiers in the Pongau area near Salzburg. Mountain rescue officials found four skiers dead and one seriously injured. Earlier the same day, a female skier was buried by another avalanche in the same region. Local mountain rescue services were called around 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT). They said, "Four people were found dead, while another suffered serious injuries." Gerhard Kremser, the head of the Pongau mountain rescue, said, "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is." Other avalanches occurred around midday in the Pongau region but caused no injuries. Dangerous snow conditions have led to recent deaths in the Alps. On Tuesday, a 13-year-old Czech boy died in an avalanche at the Bad Gastein resort. Last Sunday, a 58-year-old skier died in Weerberg, Tyrol. In Switzerland, a German man was killed, and four others were injured in cross-country skiing avalanches on Friday. France also saw six avalanche deaths across Alpine resorts last weekend.