Five Skiers Killed in Two Avalanches in French Alps
Five skiers lost their lives in two separate avalanches in the French Alps on Wednesday, local officials confirmed. The tragedies occurred in the Val-Cenis area of Savoie and the Mont Blanc massif in Haute-Savoie.
In Val-Cenis, four Norwegian skiers were caught in a massive avalanche while skiing off-piste. Three were killed instantly, while a fourth—a woman—died in a nearby hospital after suffering severe hypothermia and cardiorespiratory arrest. They were part of a larger group of seven, but the remaining three escaped unharmed. Mayor Jacques Arnoux stated that all members had avalanche beacons, but the force of the snow was overwhelming.
In the second incident near Chamonix, a 30-year-old Swiss woman died while skiing off-piste with her father and brother in the Mont Blanc massif. Though both had anti-avalanche airbags, she did not survive. Her brother was hospitalized for tests, while their father remained unharmed.
These deadly avalanches follow another fatal incident on Tuesday, when a 55-year-old Brazilian-Portuguese skier was killed in a “very large” avalanche in Mont Blanc. Authorities continue to warn of the dangers of backcountry skiing in unpredictable snow conditions.