Six skiers rescued after being buried in devastating avalanche near Lake Tahoe: cops

Six backcountry skiers buried in a devastating avalanche near Lake Tahoe have been rescued, cops confirmed Tuesday.

It took rescue crews several hours to rescue the skiers due to the challenging winter storm conditions that struck around 11:30 a.m. in Castle Peak near Truckee, a Nevada County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.

Two of the six skiers rescued have since been taken to the hospital.

A huge rescue operation is underway for a group of skiers buried in avalanche in northern California. Nevada County Sheriff’s Office

Authorities have confirmed the search for the missing skiers remains ongoing.

It was thought that 16 people — 12 skiers and four guides — were hit by the avalanche, but the number was revised to 15. Nine people are still unaccounted for.

The avalanche happened on the final day of a three-day trip when the group was heading back to the trailhead.