FIVE people have been killed and one person dug out alive after Swiss and French skiers were buried by an avalanche on Norway's Arctic fringe.

Rescuers located the victims through signals from their radio transceivers, but only the first person they found survived Patek Philippe Replica Watches, a Swiss man who was taken to hospital in stable condition.

A one-kilometre wall of snow came crashing down on the skiers overnight on Sorbmegaisa mountain, 65 kilometres east of the northern city of Tromsoe, police spokesman Morten Pettersen said.

The last victim was found buried under six metres of snow.

Four Swiss and one French skier died in the avalanche, which started at a height of 1100m and was 600m long.

Swiss Foreign Ministry representative Jenny Piaget confirmed four citizens had been killed and one injured. A Swiss embassy official from Stockholm was dispatched to support the survivors.

The victims were among 12 people out skiing when the avalanche struck. One of the six who escaped alerted authorities, and dozens of volunteers were dispatched to the site along with police and military helicopters.

"It was a demanding search," said Tor Indrevold of the local Red Cross team, explaining that rescuers were "digging down two storeys" of snow.

The northern tip of Norway is popular among tourists who come to experience the Arctic wilderness or marvel at the Northern Lights. The region also offers cross-country skiing, reindeer sledding, ice fishing and snowmobile rides.

Avalanches are common in the area. Two Norwegian skiers were killed by a snowslide on the island of Kvaloeya, just outside Tromsoe, in February.

Mr Indrevold said the weather this season had raised the risk of avalanches A Lange Sohne Replica Watches, since heavy snow was followed by mild weather.

He said the avalanche danger level in the area was three on a five-point scale, with five being the highest risk.