Dramatic Avalanche Footage Captures Moment Skiers Engulfed Near Italian Resort
Shocking video footage has emerged capturing the terrifying moment a huge avalanche cascaded down a mountainside, engulfing dozens of skiers below near the Italian resort of Courmayeur. The dramatic clip, shared widely on social media, shows a mass of snow and ice tumbling down a steep slope in the Val Veny area on Tuesday, with a large group of skiers visible waiting by a chairlift on the opposite side of the mountain.
Chaotic Scene as Skiers Flee
In the video, many onlookers watch as the avalanche quickly gathers momentum, ploughing over a row of tall pine trees. Dozens of skiers attempted to flee the area at the last minute but were swallowed by a massive cloud of powder snow. It remains unknown if anyone was injured in this specific incident. The avalanche unfolded near the Zerotta chairlift, an area popular with winter sports enthusiasts.
Tragic Context: Recent Fatalities
This alarming event comes just days after two skiers were killed in a similar avalanche incident at the same resort. The tragedy occurred on Sunday on the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route, according to Italy's Alpine Rescue service. One victim was transported to hospital in serious condition but later succumbed to their injuries.
Fifteen rescuers, three canine units, and two helicopters were deployed in the search and rescue efforts following the Sunday avalanche. Courmayeur, a town with approximately 2,900 inhabitants located 124 miles north-west of Milan, is one of the venues set to host events for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
High Avalanche Alerts Issued
Resorts across Italy have been placed under high avalanche alerts after fresh snowfall on weak internal layers has created extremely risky conditions for skiers. Authorities are urging extreme caution, particularly in off-piste areas where the snowpack is less stable and more prone to sudden collapse.
Parallel Tragedies in the French Alps
Meanwhile, a number of British skiers have also been killed in avalanches in the French Alps this winter season. On Friday, an avalanche in Val-d'Isère swept away six skiers in an off-piste area, resulting in the deaths of one French national and two British citizens.
Emergency services responded rapidly but could not prevent the fatalities, according to a resort official. All victims were equipped with avalanche transceivers, highlighting the unpredictable nature of such disasters. The deaths occurred less than 24 hours after the Savoie region had been placed on a rare red avalanche alert—a warning level issued only twice before in the 25 years since its introduction.
Persistent High Risk Conditions
Although the red alert had been lifted by Friday morning, the risk remained at four out of five—officially classified as 'high.' Avalanches under these conditions are 'easily triggered by skiers or hikers' and capable of mobilising 'very large volumes of snow,' according to meteorological reports. Skiers are strongly advised against venturing off-piste when the avalanche danger level exceeds tier three.
Storm Nils had blanketed the area with up to a metre of fresh snowfall on Thursday, creating what Météo-France described as a 'very unstable snow cover.' Several resorts, including La Plagne, Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, and La Grave, were forced to close temporarily due to the hazardous conditions.
Investigation Launched into French Incident
The group involved in the French avalanche had been skiing under the supervision of an instructor, who emerged unhurt. Alcohol and drug tests returned negative results. A manslaughter investigation has been launched by the CRS Alpes mountain rescue police, as is standard procedure in fatal mountain accidents, under the direction of Albertville prosecutor Benoît Bachelet.
Cédric Bonnevie, Val d'Isère's piste director, stated that the avalanche tore down the slope for 400 metres before ending in a stream. The cause remains undetermined, though French media suggested it may have been triggered by a solo skier above the group. Rescuers located two victims within 15 minutes using their avalanche transceivers, but finding the third body proved more challenging when the device was found submerged underwater and non-functional.
Dogs and probes were deployed before the body was recovered hours later. Mr Bonnevie told The Telegraph: 'This is always a sad situation. Three people in the same avalanche is so tragic.'
Broader Alpine Safety Concerns
The majority of fatal winter sports accidents in France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy occur off-piste rather than on secured runs. Avalanches account for approximately half of those deaths, with France averaging about 25 fatalities each winter. This season alone, there have been at least 25 avalanche deaths across the country, underscoring the persistent dangers in Alpine regions despite advanced safety equipment and warning systems.
