3rd LD Writethru: 8 killed in Austria avalanches on "black Saturday"

VIENNA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Avalanches have claimed eight lives in Austria's Styria and Salzburg regions, the country's largest newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported, calling today the "black Saturday."

Three people were killed on Saturday afternoon in an avalanche which occurred in the Pusterwald area in Styria, the newspaper said.

Also on Saturday, five people were killed after two avalanches struck western