An avalanche has buried three Americans skiers under snow of 40 feet or more. The avalanche struck in the Alaska backcountry near Girdwood, a small resort town, late Tuesday afternoon, March 4, local time.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers said an avalanche buried three skiers under a blanket of snow between 40 and 100 feet deep in a small resort town.

A 38-year-old Minnesota man was identified as one of three people believed to have died in an avalanche south of Anchorage.

The skiers were caught in a slide Tuesday afternoon near the west fork of the Twentymile River, which buried them “between 40 feet and nearly 100 feet deep.”

Alaska State Troopers reported that ‘multiple’ skiers had been trapped in an avalanche near Anchorage. ESI Media - The Independent ESI Media - The Independent

Authorities have identified three men who died Tuesday after being buried by a massive avalanche during a guided heli-skiing trip in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood. The Alaska State Troopers on Thursday said the men were 39-year-old David Linder,

Forecast for avalanches remains high in the area of Alaska where three skiers who were flown by helicopter to a remote mountain range were swept away by and likely killed under the weight of dozens of feet of snow.

The large avalanche occurred Tuesday afternoon in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

Three men are feared dead after being hit by a massive avalanche while on a backcountry heli-skiing trip in Alaska, say officials. Officials believe the party is buried in up to 100ft (30m) of snow, but no bodies have yet been recovered after Tuesday afternoon's incident in the Chugach mountains about 40 miles (65km) east of Anchorage.

Three heli-skiers are presumed dead after they were caught in an avalanche Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday in a statement. The large avalanche buried the skiers at about 3:30 p.m. local time near Girdwood.