Four skiers were killed in an avalanche in Mill Creek Canyon on Saturday.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said on Twitter that there were four fatalities in the Mill Creek Canyon area on Saturday afternoon. She said there are rescue teams on the scene.
The avalanche occurred near Wilson Peak, on the ridge line separating Big Cottonwood Canyon and Mill Creek Canyon, according to Drew Hardesty with the Utah Avalanche Center. He said it happened on steep, north-facing terrain.
Four is the highest avalanche death rate in the Wasatch Mountains since 1914, according to the Utah Avalanche Center. It would also match the state record. Four people were killed in a skier-induced avalanche in Gold Basin near Moab in 1992.
Three died in an avalanche that dragged 15 people into Provo Canyon near Sundance Resort in 2003.
Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted that the dead are a terrible tragedy. He said people need to be extremely careful because of the current avalanche conditions.
Hardesty said the victims were experienced skiers well known in the community. He also called their deaths a terrible tragedy.
This story is being updated