A major snowstorm hit Austria, killing five people and causing power outages and widespread transport disruption, officials said.

Police said a 53-year-old man died after a snow-clearing machine fell on him in a residential complex in the northern city of Linz.

In the western Tyrol region, four skiers were killed in avalanches, local authorities said.

Tyrol officials urged skiers to avoid off-piste slopes, noting that the number of avalanche-related deaths in Austria this winter had risen to 21 and warning that the risk would remain high for several days.

Snowfall of up to 40 centimetres (16 inches) has blanketed parts of the Alpine country since Thursday, prompting weather warnings in southeastern Austria, particularly in areas around the city of Graz.