Tragedy struck the upscale ski resort of Val d’Isere in the French Alps on Friday, when an avalanche claimed the lives of three skiers, including two from the UK.
Cedric Bonnevie, who oversees the resort’s ski runs, reported that one victim was French, while the other two were British nationals.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the deadly avalanche, Bonnevie confirmed.
The British skiers were part of a skiing party that included four individuals and a professional instructor, according to Bonnevie.
The group was well-prepared, equipped with essential safety devices such as avalanche transceivers, shovels, and probes, as per the resort’s information.
Tests for alcohol and drugs were administered to the instructor, and Albertville’s public prosecutor, Benoît Bachelet, confirmed that all results were negative.
Bonnevie said it appeared that one of the victims had been caught in the avalanche high up on the mountain slope.
The two others had been among a group of five, including a professional guide, lower down the mountain face who did not see the approaching disaster.
Three skiers including two Brits died after being swept away in an avalanche in the upmarket French Alpine ski resort of Val d’Isere on Friday
Cedric Bonnevie, who is in charge of the resort’s pistes, told reporters one of the victims was a French national while the others were British. Pictured: A stock image of Val-d’Isere
It was not clear what caused the avalanche, Bonnevie said.
Meteo France, the national weather service, on Thursday had placed the local area under a red alert for avalanche risk.
It comes after avalanches killed two skiers in the French Alps on Monday, following the deaths of two others in a separate slides at the weekend.
A 38-year-old man was killed in Saint-Agnes near Grenoble, local police said. The skier he was with was unharmed.
Another man, in his early 30s, was the victim of a ‘very large avalanche’ while skiing in an off-piste area near the village of Montgenevre, said local prosecutor Marion Lozac’hmeur.
Yet another who was with the victim was unharmed, she added.
The deaths came after an avalanche killed two off-piste ski tourers in the French Alps on Saturday, near Saint-Veran, known as the highest village in the French Alps.
The two victims were part of a group of four unguided skiers when an avalanche swept down the north side of the Tete de Longet mountain peak.
Avalanches have already claimed the lives of at least 20 skiers across the French, Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps so far this season.
Last month, a British man was reportedly among six skiers killed in avalanches in the French Alps.
The Englishman, believed to be in his 50s, was skiing off-piste at the La Plagne resort in the south-east of France, the resort said in a statement.
Rescue teams received an avalanche alert at 1.57pm on January 11 and immediately went to the site, the resort said.
A team of more than 50 people, including medics, ski school instructors and a helicopter-deployed piste dog, were called in.
The man was located after 50 minutes, buried under eight feet of snow, but could not be revived, the resort said.
He was with a group when the avalanche struck, but was not equipped with an avalanche transceiver and was not with a professional instructor, it added.
The Daily Mail previously reported at least 17 deaths on European slopes between December and January.
