Two Irish people have joined a class action lawsuit against a ski resort named Ischgl, which became a hotspot of COVID-19 infection.

Austrian lawyer Peter Kolba confirmed to RTÉ News that in total 15 Irish people have contacted him out of a total of 5,000 from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Iceland, the United States, Singapore, and Israel.

Kolba said that the authorities did not act quickly enough following health warnings and confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the village.

Suit

A total of 500 people have given Kolba power of attorney in this suit, including two Irish people.

Mr Kolba said he is aware of 11 people who have died with the disease, who had either been to the resort of Ischgl, or had contact with someone who had.

On 5 March, Iceland warned Austrian authorities that skiers that had returned from the village had tested positive for the virus.

The Tyrol Government, which includes Ischgl, said they probably contracted the disease while flying.

The resort remained open until 13 March.

Angry

Mr Kolba said his clients are angry that the authorities have not accepted responsibility.

Mayor of Ischgl Werner Kurz said the virus "snowballed all of us".

"Such a pandemic was unimaginable, and that's why comprehensive preparations for it were also lacking... this was a completely new and unforeseeable situation for us," Mr Kurz said.