Latest news with #SergeRevial
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
British man, 27, killed by avalanche in French Alps
A British man has died after he was buried by an avalanche at a ski resort in the French Alps, local officials have said. The man, 27, was near the roadside at the Val Thorens resort when he was swept up and carried 15 metres (50ft) by snow on Thursday morning, a local prosecutor said. The Briton, who has not yet been named, had already gone into cardiac arrest when police officers arrived at the scene to pull him out of the snow. He was taken to a hospital in Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, where he died later that evening. Heavy snow blocks Alpine resorts in Switzerland and France His family is being supported by local services, the prosecutor added, and an investigation into the incident has been launched. A spokesperson for the UK's foreign office said: "We supporting the family of a British man who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities." Heavy snow has hit the Alps in recent days, with thousands of homes in the Savoie region of eastern France left without power. On Thursday, road and rail routes were cut off into the resort of Zermatt in the southern canton of Valais and tourists and residents were told to stay indoors in the French resort of Tignes. Tignes Mayor Serge Revial said there was a high risk of avalanches and that a decision had to be made "to protect people". South of Zermatt, power outages were reported in 37 of the 74 municipalities in the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy, and a bridge collapsed in Biella in nearby Piedmont.
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
British man, 27, killed by avalanche in French Alps
A British man has died after he was buried by an avalanche at a ski resort in the French Alps, local officials have man, 27, was near the roadside at the Val Thorens resort when he was swept up and carried 15 metres (50ft) by snow on Thursday morning, a local prosecutor said. The Briton, who has not yet been named, had already gone into cardiac arrest when police officers arrived at the scene to pull him out of the snow. He was taken to a hospital in Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, where he died later that evening. Heavy snow blocks Alpine resorts in Switzerland and France His family is being supported by local services, the prosecutor added, and an investigation into the incident has been launched. A spokesperson for the UK's foreign office said: "We supporting the family of a British man who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities."Heavy snow has hit the Alps in recent days, with thousands of homes in the Savoie region of eastern France left without Thursday, road and rail routes were cut off into the resort of Zermatt in the southern canton of Valais and tourists and residents were told to stay indoors in the French resort of Mayor Serge Revial said there was a high risk of avalanches and that a decision had to be made "to protect people".South of Zermatt, power outages were reported in 37 of the 74 municipalities in the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy, and a bridge collapsed in Biella in nearby Piedmont.
The Guardian
18-04-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Briton dies in avalanche as heavy snow sweeps France, Switzerland and Italy
A 27-year-old British man has died after being swept away by an avalanche at the French ski resort at Val Thorens after unusually heavy storms across the Alps. The victim, who has not been named, was reportedly at the side of a road at the lower side of the town when he was struck by a wall of snow that carried him 15 metres (50 feet) down the mountain on Thursday morning. He was taken to hospital in Grenoble with cardiorespiratory failure but died in the evening. The incident took place as France's Savoie and Haute Savoie departments and other Alpine regions were put under the highest alert for avalanches as heavy snow, rain and flooding caused chaos across the region. 'Two municipal police officers and a patrol of three gendarmes on foot, alerted by a witness, arrived at the scene as quickly as possible and managed to extract the victim, who was in cardiorespiratory arrest at the time,' the local police prefecture said in a statement. The man was standing 'at the side of the road … and was buried and swept some 15 metres below', it said. At least four people have been reported dead as a result of extreme weather in France, Italy and Switzerland that has cut off winter resorts, disrupted transport and left homes without electricity. Easter skiers were advised on Friday to stick to designated runs and avoid going off piste. A high alert for avalanches has closed some resorts. Snow is not unusual in the Alps in April, but the amount that has blanketed parts of of France, Switzerland and Italy took local people and officials by surprise. Meteorologists recorded 'exceptionally unusual' snowfall on Thursday, with 110cm (3.6 feet) in the French alpine resort of Tignes, where people were advised to stay indoors for several hours. Other resorts recorded 80 to 90 cm of snow. It Italy, the bodies of a 64-year-old man and his 33-year-old son were found near Vicenza in the Veneto region, bringing the death toll in the country to three. The pair had volunteered to help with rescue efforts after heavy rains in the north of the country and were on their way when their car was swept away by the currents. A 92-year-old man was found dead in his flooded home in the northern Piedmont region the previous day, the fire brigade said. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Dozens of roads were shut in all three countries as a result of fallen trees or the risk of avalanches, and heavy goods vehicles were banned from using the main Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy, leaving many stuck on the road linking the two countries. Trains were also affected, and at one point more than 3,300 homes in France and 5,000 in Italy were left without power, according to authorities. The mayor of Tignes, Serge Revial, said conditions were 'intense and complicated'. He ordered people to stay indoors for their own safety on Thursday, but said the situation was slowly returning to normal on Friday. In Italy, the air force's weather service reported 'intense and abundant' rain that turned to show above 1,800 metres. In Switzerland, 'exceptional' snowfall was reported in the south-western Valais canton. In the town of Sion, 36,000 people were advised to stay at home.
Local France
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Local France
LATEST: French Alps on avalanche warning after snow wreaks havoc
After heavy snowfall on Thursday, France's national weather service Météo-France issued an orange alert for avalanches in the Savoie départment for Friday. The orange alert is its second highest warning level, indicating that anyone in the area should be 'very vigilant', stay informed of developments and follow safety advice issued by public authorities. READ MORE: Explained: How France's weather warning system works "The large quantities of recent snow will start to melt as temperatures rise and the sun returns during the day on Friday. "Avalanche activity will be much lower than on Thursday, but major avalanches are still possible as the recent snow moistens during the day. Locally, these avalanches could reach infrastructures or roads that are usually exposed," the forecaster said. The twin warnings came after more than a metre of snow fell in a few hours in the Alps on Thursday, as a spring storm left at least one dead and caused widespread chaos and road closures . As of Friday morning, all departmental roads in Savoie had been reopened, with the exception of the Arvan tunnel. In the French resort of Val Thorens, a woman suffered cardiac arrest after being buried in an avalanche, authorities said, while several French ski resorts were closed – including Tignes – were closed. The popular ski resort's mayor, Serge Revial, told Franceinfo on Friday that, 'the situation is slowly returning to normal', the morning after residents and visitors were confined to their homes and hotels because of heavy snowfall and risk of avalanches – with restrictions in place 'until further notice'. Thursday's lockdown had applied to 'all neighborhoods, villages, and hamlets in Tignes. Travel within the same neighborhood is only permitted between 3pm and 8pm,' according to the resort's website. 'The snow and precipitation conditions were very intense and complicated, and that's why we took a drastic decision to protect the safety of our fellow citizens,' Revial said. What about skiing on Friday? He added that the ski area 'will be partially reopened' on Friday morning, but that 'under no circumstances should one go off-piste,' because of the risk of avalanches. READ MORE: Is skiing in France becoming more dangerous? 'With what fell on the previous snow cover, it is very dangerous, and we urge the utmost caution. You must stay on the open slopes," Revial said. Corentin Hassmann, commander of the Savoie high mountain gendarmerie platoon, explained to Franceinfo that "the sun will heat up the snow and make it heavier". Advertisement Hassman echoed Revial's warning about the dangers, despite the return of more pleasant conditions. 'Mountain enthusiasts will have to be extra vigilant,' he said, and urged skiers and residents to '[stay] in secure areas' and heed the advice of officials. The avalanche risk remains 'high' at all altitudes, he added, which he said was 'surprising at this time of year'. Huge volumes of snow A number of ski resorts – in Switzerland and Italy, as well as France – were closed because of the snow storm, while rail services were cancelled, roads cut off and schools closed. In Italy, two people were still missing as of Friday morning. Although snow in April is not rare, the amount that has fallen took authorities and residents by surprise. 'Cars are covered up to the roof... Just walking outside is worrying,' Mathis, a hotel employee in Tignes who declined to give his full name, told AFP. 'In such a short time, this is an enormous amount,' said Yann Geaudry, a retired cross-country ski instructor in the French village of Termignon, worried about the risk of floods when the snow melts in the spring sunshine. Heavy trucks were banned from using the main Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy. Advertisement Trains were also affected, and at one point more than 3,300 French homes were without power, according to authorities in the Savoie. 'It's truly exceptional,' said Didier Beauchet, a retiree who has lived in Lanslebourg for 40 years. 'I must have seen that only five times,' he told AFP, as motorists around him worked to free their snow-covered cars.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heavy snow blocks Alpine resorts in Switzerland and France
The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt was cut off and tourists and residents were told to stay indoors in the French resort of Tignes because of heavy snow in the Alps on Thursday. Tignes Mayor Serge Revial said there was a high risk of avalanches and "we had to make a decision to protect people", after more than a metre of snow was dumped over the town. Although snow is not uncommon in the Alps in April, the disruption left thousands of homes in the Savoie region of eastern France without power. In neighbouring Switzerland, the Simplon Pass into Italy and the Great St Bernard Tunnel were closed to traffic, while two cantons were badly affected. In Valais and Bernese Oberland, tourists heading for ski holidays were hit by the disruption. Road and rail routes were cut off into the resort of Zermatt in the southern canton of Valais; power was cut throughout Thursday and mobile phone networks were badly disrupted. Queues built up outside the only supermarket open in the town, according to Swiss media. The Alertswiss app warned of the risk of avalanches and falling trees in Valais as well as major disruption to transport. Schools were closed for the day in the city of Sion. People travelling to the area for Easter were advised to delay their trips until Saturday. Local police urged people to stay at home if possible. South of Zermatt, power outages were reported in 37 of the 74 municipalities in the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy, and a bridge collapsed in Biella in nearby Piedmont. The biggest problem in north-west Italy was heavy rain, as rivers burst their banks and a 92-year-old man was thought to have drowned because of flooding in his home at Monteu da Po near Turin. A torrent of water cascaded through the streets of the village, in hills close to the River Po. Red alerts were issued in several valleys, but the biggest concern was for the Po where river levels were expected to peak in the next 24 hours. Meteorologists said in some areas more than 20cm of rain had fallen in 36 hours, and extreme peaks had been recorded of even higher levels. "It's been raining non-stop for days, very, very hard, although it's stopped now," Manuela, a 33-year-old Turin resident, told the BBC. "Two rivers, the Po and the Dora, near Turin have burst their banks. The city is fine but they had to shut several bars and restaurants by the river in Turin." Millions watch as Swedish elk begin annual migration
