Australian Teen Killed By An Avalanche On Family Holiday

An Australian teenager has been killed in an avalanche in Austria as winter storms continue to lash Europe.

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The 16-year-old boy was on a skiing holiday with his family when he was buried by the avalanche as his parents and brother looked on helplessly, according to reports.

His family were unable to help as they had no emergency supplies or a shovel with them.

The family issued a call for help after running into trouble while skiing off-piste near the St Anton resort in Tyrol, a police spokesman said late on Wednesday.

Rescuers retrieved the boy's body 20 minutes later but he could not be revived.

The family, a German man and Australian woman and their children, live in Australia.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ski outings turned into dangerous experiences in the Austrian Alps and Slovakian mountains on Wednesday amid continuing heavy snowfall.

Six German teenagers were luckier, emerging alive from an avalanche that engulfed them at the Wildkogel resort in Austria's Salzburg province.