Nine backcountry skiers remained missing early Wednesday after six others were rescued from the site of an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in a late-night operation, authorities said.
The group, which included four guides and 11 clients, was caught in an avalanche that struck around 11:30 a.m. local time at Castle Peak, a popular backcountry skiing area near Truckee, Calif.
The 15 skiers were on a three-day expedition that began on Sunday, and they had been staying at the Frog Lake huts, according to a statement from Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company responsible for the tour group. On Tuesday, the group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the end of the trip when the avalanche struck near the huts, the statement said.
Six skiers were able to contact rescue teams on Tuesday afternoon by using beacons, officials said. They sheltered under a tarp until rescuers reached them shortly before midnight. Two of the six were taken to a hospital for treatment, the sheriff’s office said.
Rescuers have not been able to locate or make contact with the nine remaining skiers. Officials revised the total number of people on the trip to 15, correcting an earlier count of 16.
If the remaining skiers are not found alive, the avalanche would be one of the deadliest in the United States in decades, according to data compiled by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Avalanche warnings remained in effect across a broad stretch of the Sierra Nevada, with forecasters warning that conditions would stay highly dangerous into Wednesday morning. Heavy snowfall, strong winds, and low visibility were creating what scientists at the Central Sierra Snow Lab described as some of the worst avalanche conditions the region has experienced in years.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
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