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French Alps avalanche kills five climbers French Alps avalanche kills seven climbers
(about 1 hour later)
An avalanche in the French Alps has swept five climbers to their deaths and left two more missing. Seven people have been killed in an avalanche in the French Alps – the deadliest to hit the mountain range this year.
Pierre Besnard, prefect of the Hautes-Alpes region, told BFM television that the avalanche on Tuesday afternoon hit three groups of climbers on the highly travelled dome of the Ecrins massif, near the town of Pelvoux. “The toll has increased – seven people have died,” said Pierre Besnard, a local official who had earlier put the number of deaths at five, with two people missing.
He said foreign climbers were among the dead but offered no details. Besnard said search and rescue teams, including two helicopters, were in the area. One climber was gravely injured. He added that rescuers were continuing their search to make sure there were no other victims.
The avalanche struck at about midday at the Snow Dome in the Écrins massif, an easily accessible 4,000-metre (13,000-feet) mountain that is hugely popular with climbers.
It swept away eight people, among whom were foreign climbers, police said, adding they did not yet know their nationalities. One person was injured.
Climbers and skiers are sporadically caught in avalanches in the Alps, particularly during the winter season, but this is the deadliest accident so far this year.
In January, six skiers were carried away by an avalanche in the Queyras range, and just over two months later, three died in the Écrins massif.
Christian Flagella, a member of the police force in the Hautes-Alpes region, where the mountain is located, said the avalanche was likely triggered when a layer of snow separated and hurtled down the hill.
“The conditions are winter-like at the moment,” he said.