Searchlights were deployed to continue the search in the dark (Photo: Getty Images)

A massive rescue operation is underway after a massive avalanche in Austria.

Authorities initially thought 10 people were missing, but the estimated number has now dropped to two.

About 200 rescuers are searching for the missing people near the town of Zürs, who may have been buried under snow.

The avalanche occurred around 3 p.m. local time – 2 p.m. GMT – on the nearly 9,000-meter-high Trittkopf mountain between Zürs and Lech am Arlberg.

Searchlights have been set up to continue the search in the dark and dogs are deployed to track down the missing.

So far, one person has been rescued from the snow.

Hermann Fercher, tourism director of Lech-Zürs, said the remaining search would last “all night if necessary”.

Today’s avalanche followed days of snow in the high mountains and unusually warm weather on Christmas Day, the Austrian news agency reported.

The falling snow reportedly reached nearby ski slopes.

This morning the local mountain rescue team had assessed the avalanche danger as high.

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