British Girl, 10, Killed in Ski Accident in Austrian Alps

A 10-year-old British schoolgirl has died in a skiing accident in the Australian Alps on the last day of a family holiday.

The girl, who has not been named, died after ploughing into a tree in the Mayrhofen resort near Tirol.

Witnesses said the girl was unable to stop and hit the tree at full speed after careering off piste. She had been wearing a crash helmet.

Emergency services attended the scene and she was airlifted to hospital shortly afterwards.

Police in Mayrhofen said the family was on the last day of their holiday when the crash took place.

A spokesman said: "After the girl lost control, she began to gain speed. She went faster and faster and sped over the edge of the piste and into the woods.

"She then hit the tree and was very badly hurt.

"Her father and brother were behind and they went after her immediately and saw the accident."

Her mother had already returned to the bottom of the mountain by cable car so did not witness the accident, which took place on Sunday.

Rescuers airlifted the girl to hospital in Innsbruch, but doctors could not save her and she was pronounced dead on Monday.

Head injuries

A local, who witnessed the accident, said: "I saw a child leave the piste at a very fast speed.

"I stopped but was already too far down the slope. I heard a lot of screaming. A short while later I saw the helicopter landing at the scene."

One of the mountain rescuers told the Daily Mail: "It appeared to be a very serious injury. The child was in a bad condition when she was taken to hospital. It didn't look good. She suffered head injuries."

The 10-year-old's death follows a similar accident in December last year, when 25-year-old Emily Watts, from Suffolk, was killed in the French Alps.

Watts died after falling headfirst into a snowdrift and was stuck for 45 minutes. She was taken to hospital and spent five days on life support before dying.

In December, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office urged British people going on skiing holidays to take care while on the mountains.

Simon Taylor, Consul, based in Marseille, said: "Last year we saw a high number of British nationals end up in hospital with serious injuries. Sadly this included a number of deaths.

"It is significant that a large number of cases we have dealt with have involved off piste skiing. Those lucky enough to survive an accident and end up in hospital can face months of recovery, so it is important to think carefully beforehand about the very real risks out there."