In a tragic incident in the French Alps on Wednesday, five skiers lost their lives due to two separate avalanches, confirmed local officials. The first avalanche occurred in Val-Cenis, situated in the southeastern Savoie region, resulting in the deaths of four Norwegian skiers. Among the victims, three were killed instantly, while a fourth woman succumbed to severe hypothermia and cardiorespiratory arrest in a nearby hospital. The group of skiers comprised seven individuals, with the remaining three escaping unharmed. According to Jacques Arnoux, the mayor of Val-Cenis, every skier in the group was equipped with an avalanche beacon, a precaution typically taken for off-piste skiing, which is notably more perilous. "It was an avalanche of great size triggered outside the ski area," Mayor Arnoux elaborated.
Tragedy Strikes as Five Skiers Lose Lives in French Alps Avalanches
Tragedy Strikes as Five Skiers Lose Lives in French Alps Avalanches
Devastating avalanches in the French Alps have claimed the lives of five skiers, including four Norwegians and a Swiss national.
In a separate incident, a Swiss skier, a 30-year-old woman, perished while skiing off-piste in the Mont Blanc massif with her brother and father. Though she was equipped with an anti-avalanche airbag, the risks of skiing in such treacherous conditions were evident. Her brother received medical attention, while their father remained unharmed. This string of fatalities follows another incident on Tuesday, where a 55-year-old Brazilian-Portuguese skier was killed in a significant avalanche in an off-piste area of Mont Blanc.
