Avalanches, flooding cause disruptions in Austria, Germany

BERLIN (AP) - Bad weather continued to afflict parts of Europe on Tuesday with avalanches in Austria striking buildings and roads but resulting in no injuries.

An overnight avalanche in Ramsau, central Austria, slammed a hotel. All 60 visitors and staff, most of whom were from a Danish ski club, got out of the building unharmed.

The head of the ski club from western Denmark said "fortunately no persons were present in the part of the" the hotel where some 50 of its members were staying.

Niels Leth-Soerensen, chairman of the Hobro Skiklub, praised the hotel staff in Ramsau and local rescue teams for swiftly evacuating all guests to another hotel.

Leth-Soerensen who himself was part of the party, said on the club website that the 200-year-old hotel had never been hit by an avalanche.

Warmer, wetter weather after days of heavy snowfall has increased the risk of avalanches in parts of southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

In Bavaria, snow melt has flooded several roads and some basements in the town of Harburg as the Woernitz river swelled overnight.

Dozens of people have already died in avalanches and weather-related accidents in the region since the start of the year.