Avalanches Kill Five Skiers in French Alps
Two separate avalanches killed five skiers across the French Alps on Wednesday, according to several news reports.Four of the deceased — all Norwegians — were caught in an avalanche at Val-Cenis. Three of them were pronounced dead at the scene, while one, a woman, was transported to a hospital in Grenoble. There, she died of cardiorespiratory arrest and severe hypothermia, an official in the Savoie prefect's department told The Guardian.Three other members of the group were caught by the avalanche, but they survived and were unharmed.'It was an avalanche of great size which was triggered outside the ski area,' Jacques Arnoux, the mayor of Val-Cenis, told Agence France-Presse.
As they were skiing off-piste, the seven skiers were wearing avalanche beacons. Ten mountain rescue specialists responded to the incident, a police source said, according to the BBC.That same day, in the Mont Blanc Massif, an avalanche killed a Swiss woman who was skiing alongside her father and brother. All members of the group had avalanche airbags and avalanche beacons, The Guardian reports.Her brother was transported to a hospital for testing, and her father was unharmed.The avalanche danger at the time of the deaths on Wednesday in both areas was 'considerable,' indicating 'dangerous avalanche conditions,' according to the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS). In the Val-Cenis case, the avalanche problems were new snow and a persistent weak layer.The lethal avalanches follow another similar incident on Tuesday, where a Brazilian Portuguese national was killed by a 'very large' slide, also in the French Alps.The 55-year-old man had been skiing in an off-piste section of the Les Grands Montets when the avalanche struck. A ski patrol heading to close the area due to poor conditions first spotted the avalanche.Local rescuers visited the scene where the skier was pronounced dead.Europe has seen 26 avalanche fatalities this winter, nearly half of which occurred in France, the EAWS reports. On average, 100 people are killed by avalanches each ski season in Europe.Throughout much of France's mountains, the avalanche danger remains 'considerable' today.Be the first to read breaking ski news with POWDER. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. From ski resort news to profiles of the world's best skiers, we are committed to keeping you informed.
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