Avalanches bury skiers in French Alps

  • 07/03/2017
French Alps mountain (Reuters)
(Reuters / file)

Many skiers have been swept away by an avalanche at Tignes ski resort in the French Alps, first aid workers told Reuters.

A police spokesman quoted by local newspaper Le Dauphine said several people were buried by Tuesday's avalanche that came down on a busy ski slope.

The snow is said to have crossed the blue "Carline" ski slope and police issued an alert around 11am on Tuesday (local time).

Four people were killed in an avalanche at the same resort last month.

Since the beginning of the season, there have been 14 avalanches in the Alps and the Pyrenees, which have killed at least seven.

Last season, there were 45 incidents, which killed 21 people.

The vast Tignes ski area was entirely closed and skiers were evacuated by resort staff and police.

Rescue conditions were difficult because of fog which made it impossible for emergency workers from outside the resort to get there by helicopter. They had to come by road instead.

The avalanche risk was high on Tuesday at four on a scale of five.

Reuters