OTTAWA - Three skiers were left dead and four others injured in an avalanche near Invermere, British Columbia, Canadian authorities said on Thursday.

In total, there were 10 people caught in the avalanche, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.

Among the four injured, some were in serious condition, but it is believed they will survive.

One of the seriously injured was the guide, authorities said.

The three remaining skiers have been safely accounted for.

All the skiers were foreign nationals, police said, except the guide. Their identities were not released.

The avalanche happened in the area of Panorama Mountain Resort near Invermere, about 160km west of Calgary.

A spokesman for the resort told CBC News the avalanche occurred outside of its boundaries, but it closed some of its upper lifts in order to support rescue personnel.

There have now been a dozen avalanche fatalities in British Columbia in 2023, according to CBC News, making it one of the province’s worst years on record for avalanche deaths.

Two US citizens were killed in an avalanche while on a skiing trip in British Columbia in January. REUTERS