An avalanche in the U.S. state of Colorado has killed two snowmobilers.

The Grand County sheriff's office says the avalanche occurred Saturday afternoon as four Colorado residents were snowmobiling near Grand Lake, on the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Three of them were caught in the slide, but one of them was able to escape.

The two who were buried were declared dead at the scene near Gravel Mountain. Their names haven't been released.

Recent snows and winds have raised the risk of avalanches in parts of Colorado's mountains.