What began as a normal day on the mountain turned into a nightmare in less than ten seconds. Survivors of a devastating avalanche say there was almost no warning before a massive wall of snow broke loose, sweeping nine people beneath the surface in an instant.

According to firsthand accounts, the group had paused briefly when they heard a deep, cracking sound — a low rumble that quickly intensified. Within moments, the snowpack fractured above them. The slope collapsed, and a powerful surge of snow thundered downhill, moving faster than anyone could react.

“It felt like the ground disappeared,” one survivor reportedly said. “There wasn’t time to run. It was just noise, white everywhere, and then nothing.”

Avalanches can travel at speeds exceeding 80 km/h (50 mph), leaving victims buried under dense, compacted snow that hardens almost like concrete. Rescue experts emphasize that survival often depends on the first 10 to 15 minutes, when oxygen pockets may still exist. After that window, chances drop dramatically.

Emergency teams launched an urgent search operation using avalanche beacons, probes, and rescue dogs to locate those trapped beneath the snow. Survivors described frantically digging with bare hands before professional responders arrived.

Mountain safety officials remind outdoor enthusiasts that avalanches can be triggered by subtle shifts in snow layers, temperature changes, or even the weight of a single skier. Proper equipment — including transceivers, probes, and shovels — can mean the difference between life and death.

For those who lived through it, the speed of it all is what lingers most. Ten seconds. That’s all it took for an ordinary moment to turn into a life-altering tragedy.