Death toll rises to 8 in avalanche in Sierra Nevada

Eight backcountry skiers were confirmed dead and a ninth is still missing after a massive avalanche swept through California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

According to reports, the disaster struck near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe, when a group of 15 skiers, including professional guides, from the Sugar Bowl skiing community, were returning from a three-day expedition in severe winter conditions.

Six members of the group, reportedly, survived and were rescued after enduring blinding snow and dangerous terrain while awaiting help. They constructed a makeshift shelter and used emergency beacons and text messages to inform of their location to rescuers.

Officials claimed search teams faced extreme weather and avalanche risk to reach the site, switching from vehicles to skis about two miles from the catastrophe to avoid triggering additional slides.

Moreover, the avalanche, described as roughly the length of a football field, struck around 11:30 a.m. during a powerful winter storm that dumped several feet of unstable snow across the region.

Recovery efforts have been slowed by hazardous conditions, with officials saying bodies cannot yet be safely extracted from the mountain.