Two British skiers are among three people killed in an avalanche in the French Alps, authorities have confirmed. The incident occurred off-piste in the popular resort of Val d’Isère, in south-east France.
The group consisted of five skiers accompanied by an instructor. A French national skiing alone also died in the avalanche. The instructor, who was unharmed, tested negative for alcohol and drugs, according to Albertville prosecutor Benoît Bachelet. Another British skier sustained minor injuries.
A manslaughter investigation has been launched by the Albertville public prosecutor’s office and will be conducted by the CRS Alpes mountain rescue police. France’s national weather service had issued a red alert for avalanche risk in the area on the day of the incident.
The tragedy follows a series of deadly avalanches in the Italian Alps, where 11 people died in seven days due to unstable snow conditions. Among the victims was a 70-year-old hiker found dead in the Veneto region, which is hosting the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Italy’s rescue service warned that the risk of avalanches extends across most of the Alpine range, with fresh snow accumulating on older, unstable layers, making even a single skier capable of triggering an avalanche.
