At least 1 dead, 1 injured in avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Resort, California
(CNN) — At least one person was killed and another injured during an avalanche at a ski resort in the Lake Tahoe, California, area early Wednesday morning, officials said.
The avalanche happened around 9:30 a.m. at Palisades Tahoe, a popular ski resort that attracts dozens of visitors each year. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said a multi-team search and rescue effort was quickly launched to locate possible victims. No others have been reported missing, the entity said.
“More than 100 Palisades employees participated in the search and two lines of inquiry were completed. The mountain will be closed for the rest of the day,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The debris field from the avalanche was about 45 meters wide, 137 meters long and 3 meters deep, he added.
The California Fire Department previously told CNN that crews responded to reports of “several people trapped” in the avalanche. A video posted on social media showed a man, who did not appear to be seriously injured, being pulled from the snow by other skiers.
A winter storm warning is in effect for the area and snow accumulations of 70 to 76 centimeters are expected in the resort area.
The Sierra Avalanche Center warned Wednesday that avalanche danger will increase throughout the day.
“The state is monitoring and prepared to assist with avalanches reported in the Palisades in Tahoe,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
This is a developing story.