Avalanche kills 3 skiers in southeastern France

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three skiers were killed in an avalanche in the French Alpine resort of Val-d'Isere on Friday, as authorities warned of a “very unstable” snowpack following heavy snowfall brought by Storm Nils.

The avalanche struck at around 11.30 am (0930GMT) in an off-piste area of the Manchet valley, sweeping away six skiers, according to local officials.

A French national and two British nationals died in the incident, the Albertville prosecutor’s office said, adding that an investigation has been opened, BFMTV reported.

Prosecutor Benoit Bachelet said one of the deceased, a French skier, was skiing alone in the area. The two British victims were part of a group of five skiers accompanied by a professional instructor, who was unharmed. Another member of the group sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Rescue teams were able to locate two of the victims quickly as they were equipped with avalanche transceivers and other safety gear, said Cedric Bonnevie, director of the Val-d’Isere ski resort. However, the third victim was found later after the avalanche debris reached a stream.

“We believe her avalanche transceiver was no longer functioning because she was found in the water,” Bonnevie told reporters.

A fourth skier was briefly buried under the snow but managed to survive.

Authorities said the avalanche risk had been rated 4 out of 5 earlier in the day. In a statement, the Savoie prefecture strongly advised against off-piste skiing, ski touring and snowshoeing, urging mountain visitors to strictly follow safety instructions.

The deadly slide came a day after Storm Nils brought between 60 and 100 centimeters (23 to 39 inches) of fresh snow to parts of the Alps, according to Meteo-France. The forecaster had placed Savoie under a red avalanche warning on Thursday, prompting several ski resorts to partially or fully close their slopes.

On Friday, Meteo-France warned that the snowpack remained “very unstable,” particularly above 1,800 to 2,000 meters.