Five off-piste skiers were killed in two separate avalanches in the French Alps on Wednesday, officials have confirmed. The Norwegian victims were part of a group of seven caught in snow torrents in Val Cenis, near the Italian border, Jacques Arnoux, the mayor, said.
Three were killed instantly, while another died after being taken to hospital in Grenoble with severe hypothermia and a cardiorespiratory arrest. The remaining three members of the group were not buried by the avalanche and were unharmed. Off-piste areas are not marked for skiers and are considerably more dangerous than using slopes maintained by a resort. Police said a team of 10 mountain rescue specialists were dispatched as part of a rescue operation.
Norwegian media said the victims were aged between 22 and 26 and were students at an adult education centre in Alta, northern Norway. The avalanche danger scale, which describes the likelihood of an avalanche occurring in a given area and its possible size, was at level three of out of five at the time of the incident, according to local media. The year-old Swiss victim was off-piste skiing with her father, who was unhurt, and her brother, who was taken to hospital for tests, officials said.
All three were reported to have been carrying anti-avalanche airbags, backpacks that can fire an air balloon designed to keep the wearer near the surface and alert rescuers to their location. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Families and friends of those who lost loved ones in the deadly American Airlines and Army helicopter collision are sharing tributes online in memory of the crash victims.
Natalya Gudin and her husband, Alexandr Kirsanov, who coached two young figure skaters aboard American Airlines Flight , had a choice to make before the plane took off: Who would go and who would stay. On Wednesday night, the Bombardier CRJ regional jet and Black Hawk helicopter both crashed into the icy Potomac River after colliding in midair, launching a desperate overnight search and rescue mission. Deputies said a Florida woman was arrested after allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a year-old.
