8 skiers found dead in California avalanche near Lake Tahoe; 1 missing, 6 rescued

This screengrab from a video provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows a rescue ski team making their way to the area of an avalanche in the Castle Peak area of Truckee, California. (AFP)

• Eight of nine skiers dead in Lake Tahoe avalanche
• One skier remains missing as rescue shifts to recovery mission
• Avalanche struck amid extreme weather and high avalanche risk

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Eight of the nine skiers buried in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in Northern California's Sierra Nevada mountains have died, CNN reported, citing the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. One person remains missing, Sheriff Shannan Moon said Wednesday.

The group had been on the final leg of a three-day backcountry skiing trip near Lake Tahoe when the avalanche struck Tuesday morning. According to CNN, a massive slide of snow, ice, rocks and debris swept across an area roughly the length of a football field near Castle Peak.

Six skiers were rescued after hours of searching in what authorities described as "extreme weather conditions," including heavy snowfall and gale-force winds. Two were taken to hospital with various injuries, with one released Tuesday night and the other expected to be discharged Wednesday, officials said.

Sheriff Moon said families of those still unaccounted for had been informed that the mission had shifted from rescue to recovery. "It's a difficult conversation to have with loved ones," she said, according to CNN.

Emergency crews received reports of the avalanche around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and deployed about 50 rescuers. Operations were hampered by low visibility, strong winds and continuing avalanche danger.

Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest, told CNN that the avalanche was triggered when a persistent weak layer of snow was overloaded. He warned that additional snowfall had further increased the risk, with hazard levels remaining high.

The area was under a 4 out of 5 avalanche threat rating at the time, with the National Weather Service cautioning that natural avalanches were likely and human-triggered slides very likely.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, which was leading the trip, said it was focused on search and rescue efforts and in constant communication with local authorities. The company had earlier warned on social media about unstable snow conditions.

Rescue teams approached the scene on skis and snowcats, with snowmobiles on standby, as snow fell at rates of up to four inches per hour. Survivors used emergency beacons to communicate with rescuers and improvised shelter while waiting to be evacuated.

Castle Peak, located near Donner Summit, is a popular backcountry destination but has a history of deadly avalanches. According to data cited by CNN from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, backcountry travelers account for the highest number of avalanche-related fatalities in the United States since 1950.