Five skiers lost their lives in dual avalanches in the French Alps on Wednesday, as confirmed by local authorities.
The first avalanche occurred in Val-Cenis, within the Savoie region, claiming the lives of four Norwegian skiers. A separate incident in the Haute-Savoie region, near Chamonix, resulted in the death of a Swiss skier.
Among the Norwegian skiers, three perished instantly, while a woman passed away in a nearby hospital due to severe hypothermia and cardiac arrest. The group originally consisted of seven skiers, with the remaining three escaping unharmed.
According to Jacques Arnoux, mayor of Val-Cenis, each member of the group carried an avalanche beacon while engaging in off-piste skiing, also known as backcountry skiing, which involves skiing in unmarked and unmaintained areas and poses greater risks.
Mayor Arnoux described the avalanche as significant and originating outside the designated ski zone.
A team of ten mountain rescue specialists was dispatched to the scene, according to a police source.
In a separate incident, the Swiss victim, a 30-year-old woman, was skiing with her brother, who was hospitalized for examination, and their father, who remained unscathed. All three were equipped with anti-avalanche airbags and were skiing off-piste in the Mont Blanc massif mountain range.