One person engulfed in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps has died, police said Wednesday, as rescue operations to find other possible victims were paused after an all-night search.

Four people had been reported as injured in the avalanche on Tuesday at the Crans-Montana ski station in southern Switzerland.

One of the wounded, a 34-year-old French national, has died, police in Valais canton said in a tweet.

"Searches that continued through the night have been stopped. They will resume if the situation requires," police added. No new victims were discovered overnight.

The avalanche hit during the early afternoon on a slope 2,600 metres (8,600 feet) up at Crans-Montana, which was busy with skiers during school holidays.

Swiss media said search efforts for the victims included sniffer dogs, four military helicopters and up to 250 rescue workers.

The avalanche was unusual in that it hit a designated ski slope, while the vast majority of deadly avalanches in the Alpine nation hit people skiing off-piste.

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Skiers feared buried after avalanche at Swiss ski resort
Geneva (AFP) Feb 19, 2019
An avalanche left four skiers injured Tuesday at a resort in the Swiss Alps where rescue operations went on after dark with police fearing people could still be trapped under the snow. The authorities held a press conference to announce the injuries, including one person seriously hurt, after local reports said up to a dozen people were engulfed by the avalanche. Police officers said that based on witness reports other skiers could still be buried and the search would continue into the night. ... read more