A police spokesman said the avalanche in the Tyrol region has buried 17 people.
Regional TV station ORF Tirol said it was 1.25 miles (2km) wide and 16ft (5 metres) high.
Authorities gave no immediate details on the conditions of the other casualties in the incident, which happened around noon local time in the Wattental Lizum region, around 25 miles (40km) southeast of Innsbruck in western Austria.
A search and rescue operation is under way, and it is unclear how many people are still missing.
Police earlier said some people were injured, while others were unharmed.
The entire skiing region has been on a level three avalanche alert - out of a maximum of five - and several avalanches have also been reported elsewhere.
The deaths follow a number of deadly snowslides in the French Alps this season.
Five soldiers from the French Foreign Legion died near the resort of Valfrejus on 18 January, with a sixth dying days later in hospital.
Two French teenagers and a Ukrainian tourist were killed on 14 January when a teacher took the students onto a closed skiing piste at the Deux-Alpes resort.
The teacher, who was seriously injured, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
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