Australian woman killed after falling 500m in Austrian avalanche

An Australian woman has been killed after falling nearly 500m after an avalanche in Austria.

The 27-year-old woman was snowboarding off-piste with three other Australians in the Landeck district in the state of Tyrol in the far west, local media report.

The group were hit by a 150m-wide avalanche that dragged them up to 500m down a mountain and over partially rocky ground.

It is understood none of the four were buried by snow.

A 30-year-old man was seriously injured. He was flown to an Innsbruck hospital, 80km to the east.

The other two people, a man and a woman, reportedly escaped serious injury.

Tuesday's accident happened at midday local time and ski patrols, alpine police and two helicopters were involved in the rescue, local website Heute reports.

Although the cause of the accident has not been confirmed, local police claimed the snowboarders had triggered the avalanche, Heute reports.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is providing consular assistance to the woman's family.

More than 20 people have been killed in avalanches in Austrian ski resorts so far this winter season.

With AAP