VIENNA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- In 2018, a total of 268 people died on Austria's mountains, 22 fewer than the deaths registered in the previous year, the Austrian Authority for Alpine Safety has revealed.
This figure is also significantly lower than the long-term yearly average of 292 deaths, it said on Thursday.
In addition, 7,230 people were injured on mountains last year, down 777 from the year prior, the Authority said.
"This development is pleasing, but also shows how important preventative efforts are in mountain sports," president of the authority Karl Gabl said.
Gabl noted that men feature far more prominently in mountain-related deaths in the alpine country, making up 85 percent of fatalities.
Hikers saw the most deaths on 88, followed by skiers in approved skiing areas on 30. Not all deaths were sport-related, with forestry and hunting accidents also featuring in the statistics. Avalanches claimed 15 lives.
