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AVALANCHE

Two dead in French Alps as more avalanches hit skiers

A snowboarder and a skier have been killed in the French Alps and two others are missing feared dead, just a day after an avalanche rattled skiers on a piste in the resort of Tignes.

Two dead in French Alps as more avalanches hit skiers
Photo is from a training exercise. AFP

A Dutch snowboarder and a skier have been killed and two other people are missing after a series of avalanches in the
French Alps following heavy snowfall, local officials said Wednesday.

The group of three Dutch snowboarders in their twenties were off-piste on Tuesday when they were swept away in the Valfrejus resort, mountain rescue services from the area said in a statement.

One of them has been confirmed dead while the two others are still missing

“Initial information suggests the three people did not have detection equipment,” it said, referring to systems that allow rescuers to locate skiers stuck beneath the surface.

A helicopter and sniffer dogs were deployed Wednesday morning to try to find the two missing people.

In a separate incident near the Vars and Risoul resorts, a skier was killed on Tuesday in an avalanche, local officials confirmed without giving further details.

Heavy snowfall in recent days have made off-piste areas particularly treacherous, with the avalanche risk evaluated at four on a scale of five by the French weather office on Tuesday.

A major avalanche also swept over a piste in the high-altitude resort of Tignes, sending people fleeing for safety. No-one was hurt, though dozens were left shocked by the experience.

READ ALSO: What makes the French Alps so risky for avalanches?

What makes the French Alps so risky for avalanches?

 

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SKI

Dad’s ‘miracle escape’ after being buried by avalanche in French Alps

A man out walking with his family in the French Alps has made a miraculous escape from an avalanche after spending more than two and a half hours trapped under snow, rescuers said.

Dad's 'miracle escape' after being buried by avalanche in French Alps
Ski lifts in France are closed, but visitors and locals are free to enjoy other outdoor sports. Photo: AFP

The 50-year-old father was snowshoeing near the high-altitude Val d'Isere ski resort with his wife and two children on Thursday without anti-avalanche safety equipment.

“Thank to the mobilisation of nearly 100 people… the man was found alive after two hours and 40 minutes of searching,” the police for the local Savoie département announced on Twitter.

Because of the depth of the snow, rescue dogs were unable to detect a trace, but the man was eventually dug out by a specialised mountain police team which used a Wolfhound device to locate his mobile phone under the ice.

“I think it's a miracle,” Alexandre Grether from the PGHM rescue team told the France 3 local news channel, adding that the man was found 2.5 metres (eight feet) below the surface.

The chances of survival after more than 20 minutes in an avalanche are usually slim.

“He was protected by a tree, that's what prevented him from being crushed by all the ice that slid down. The snow had surrounded him, but he had a pocket of air,” he explained.

The victim is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a fracture to his hip.

The avalanche risk on Thursday was at its maximum – five on a scale of five – and rescuers urge people to always check the snow conditions before venturing out.

READ ALSO 'Whole season a write-off' – what next for France's ski resorts?

Ski lifts in the Alps, which have seen some of their heaviest snowfalls in years in January, are currently closed because of restrictions imposed by the government to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Visitors and locals are free to enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing, but occupancy levels in hotels and chalets are way down and business owners and seasonal staff face serious hardships.

The government has promised an economic support package for the sector.

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