Vienna  -  Rescue teams were searching for possible victims on Tuesday after an avalanche buried a road near a popular ski resort in western Austria with up to four metres of snow.

The avalanche occurred near the town of Imst in the Tyrol region, close to the popular ski resort of Soelden which regularly hosts World Cup races.

A 100-metre stretch of road was covered by a blanket of snow up to four metres thick, the Austrian Press Agency said.

Authorities were still looking for possible casualties, but initial reports indicated that no cars or pedestrians were buried by the avalanche.

The region had been affected by massive snowfalls over the past hours, thereby dramatically increasing the risk of avalanches, authorities said. (dpa)