Deadly weekend in French Alps as avalanches kill off-piste skiers

A flag indicating avalanche risk on Mont Blanc in Chamonix. Avalanches killed six skiers in the French Alps this weekend, resort officials said. Photo / Jeff Pachoud, AFP

Three separate avalanches killed three off-piste skiers in the French Alps today, resort officials said, a day after three skiers died in similar incidents, bringing the weekend toll to six.

The deaths came despite alerts from the weather service of a high risk of avalanches and warnings against off-piste skiing.

In one incident, a British skier aged about 50 was buried while skiing off-piste, according to a statement released by La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France.

More than 50 rescuers were deployed, finding the man buried under 2.5m of snow after nearly an hour of searching, but he could not be resuscitated.

Rescue teams recovered the body of another skier who had been buried in an avalanche in Courchevel, the resort said, without providing further details.

And a 32-year-old off-piste skier died after being caught in an avalanche at Vallorcine in the Haute-Savoie region, the local gendarmerie said today.

Two separate avalanches claimed the lives of three off-piste skiers in the French Alps yesterday.

French weather forecasters had warned of a high risk of avalanches this weekend.

Officials in the Savoie region recorded at least six avalanches in the department’s ski areas overnight NZT.

-Agence France-Presse