Three skiers are feared dead after an avalanche buried them Tuesday afternoon near the skiing community of Girdwood, Alaska, some 40 miles south of Anchorage. A spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers told The Associated Press that the three skiers are buried in snow that could be as deep as a 10-story building.

The large avalanche occurred Tuesday afternoon in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.