A trio of skiers is likely buried under an avalanche near Anchorage, Alaska, that occurred Tuesday afternoon, but dangerous backcountry conditions have so far stymied recovery operations, officials announced.

Alaska State Troopers say three skiers who had flown by helicopter to a remote mountain range were swept away by an avalanche and likely killed under the weight of snow nearly as deep as a 10-story building.

The group was traveling with guides from a commercial heli-skiing operation, which escorts backcountry skiers via helicopter to the tops of mountains that are otherwise inaccessible.

The avalanche occurred late Tuesday afternoon near Girdwood, a skiing community about 40 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska.

Image via Facebook A radio host and his two buddies were tragically killed after an avalanche buried them under 100 feet of snow. The trio were heli-skiing in Alaska when the incident occurred. David Linder,

Officials at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center have confirmed that three skiers on a heli-skiing tour died in an avalanche near Girdwood, Alaska, southeast of Anchorage, this week. The avalanche occurred on March 4 at about 3:30 pm.

Dangerous avalanche conditions in the area persist, stalling recovery efforts and prompting warnings from forecasters.