Five skiers killed in French Alps avalanches on off-piste routes

PARIS – Five skiers died in two separate avalanches in the French Alps, local media reported on Wednesday.

In the Savoie region of the French Alps, four Norwegian skiers lost their lives in the Val-Cenis area, French newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré and broadcaster TF1 reported, citing the local prefecture.

The group of seven skiers was on an off-piste tour when a massive avalanche struck, sweeping away four of them. Three bodies were recovered at the scene, while a woman, who had been airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble, was later pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, a Swiss skier died in a separate avalanche near Vallorcine, north of the Mont Blanc massif. She was reportedly travelling with her father and brother when the avalanche hit, the newspaper Le Figaro reported, citing the public prosecutor. The father of the 30-year-old was unharmed, her brother was taken to hospital for examination.

The prefecture of Haute-Savoie has issued a warning about the heightened risk of avalanches.

On Tuesday, a 55-year-old British skier was also caught in an avalanche in the Mont Blanc region and died.