Eight skiers found dead after avalanche in California

Eight skiers have been found dead, and one is still missing, after an avalanche in the northern California mountains, authorities have said.

The avalanche hit the Castle Peak area of Truckee in California about 10 miles (16km) north of Lake Tahoe, at around 11.30am local time on Tuesday.

The cascade engulfed a group of backcountry skiers, with six people being rescued after they became trapped.

Authorities were still searching for nine missing people on Wednesday morning local time, but have now confirmed eight fatalities and one unaccounted for.

The group of 15 backcountry skiers - who were outside ski resort boundaries - were returning from a three-day excursion when the avalanche struck, the organising tour company Blackbird Mountain Guides said.

The rescued skiers - including one guide and five clients - had taken refuge in a makeshift shelter made from tarpaulin sheets and communicated with authorities using a radio beacon and text messaging.

Two of them were unable to walk taken to hospital.

California has been hit by a powerful storm this week, bringing heavy snow, high winds and severe thunderstorms to the mountainous region.

The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for the area in the Central Sierra Nevada, starting on Tuesday at 5am local time, with large slides expected into Wednesday.

The rapid accumulation of snow, coupled with gale-force winds have caused the dangerous conditions.

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