Three skiers from the Netherlands were killed by an avalanche near the Austrian ski resort of Sölden, while another was taken to hospital with injuries.

The victims were part of a 17-person ski tour group on a climb with four Austrian guides. The tour involves the use of skis with special bindings that make it possible to go uphill.

The group was heading to a mountain refuge at an altitude of about 2,500 meters above sea level. when the avalanche, which was about 80 meters wide, hit shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday.

It swept away four members of the group, two of whom were already dead when rescuers found them. The other two were found injured with one being airlifted to hospital and the other remaining on the mountain, who eventually died.

The Dutch foreign ministry said the country’s embassy in Vienna was investigating exactly what happened and was ready to provide assistance if needed.

The avalanche warning level in Tirol province, where Sölden is located, was “moderate”, the second level on a five-level scale, but experts had warned of the possibility of an avalanche.