Search and Rescue Underway for 10 Missing Following California Avalanche

KUALA LUMPUR — A high-stakes mountain rescue operation is currently underway in the rugged backcountry of Northern California after a powerful avalanche buried a guided skiing expedition on Tuesday morning. Local authorities confirmed that while six individuals have been located alive, 10 others remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the slide.

The disaster struck at approximately 11:30 a.m. in the Castle Peak area, a popular but challenging destination for winter sports enthusiasts located near Truckee, about 300 kilometers northeast of San Francisco. The group involved was a large organized party consisting of four professional ski guides and 12 clients who were navigating the steep terrain when the snowpack gave way.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reported that the six known survivors are currently stranded at the site of the avalanche. Due to the extreme instability of the surrounding snow and the immediate threat of secondary slides, rescue officials have instructed the survivors to shelter in place rather than attempt to hike out.

“Weather conditions remain highly dangerous,” a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office stated in a social media update. the primary focus of the emergency teams is to reach the survivors safely while simultaneously launching a search for the 10 missing members of the group.

The incident occurred despite a severe avalanche warning issued by the Sierra Avalanche Centre early Tuesday morning. Forecasters had predicted a widespread natural avalanche cycle over a 24-hour period, explicitly advising against travel in, near, or below avalanche-prone territory.

Experts noted that the region was primed for a “natural cycle,” where heavy snow loading and shifting temperatures create a high probability of spontaneous slides. For the 16 people caught in the Castle Peak slide, those warnings became a grim reality.

Search and rescue teams are facing immense logistical hurdles. The same conditions that caused the initial avalanche—heavy snowfall and high winds—are making it difficult for helicopters to fly and for ground crews to operate without