Five skiers were killed in two separate avalanche in the French Alps on Wednesday, local officials confirmed.
One snow torrent came in Val-Cenis, in the southeastern region of Savoie, killing four Norwegian skiers, while the Swiss skier died further in the north in the Haute-Savoie region, near Chamonix.
Three Norwegians were killed immediately, while the fourth woman died at a nearby hospital after suffering severe hypothermia and cardiorespiratory arrest.
They were part of a larger group of seven skiers, and the remaining three were unharmed.
Jacques Arnoux, Mayor of Val-Cenis, told AFP, each member of the group wore Lavin Beacon because they skied outside the runway.
Also known as the skiing for backcountry, it refers to any area that skiers do not mark or maintain for use and is significantly more dangerous.
“It was a large size avalanche launched outside the ski area,” Mayor Arnoux added.
An operation was sent a team of 10 experts to rescue mountain rescue, a police source said.
The Swiss victim, a 30-year-old, skied with her brother, who was taken to the hospital for tests, and her father, who was unharmed.
All three had airbags against Avalanche and skiing outside the runway in Mount Mont Blanc Massif.
There was a 55-year-old Brazilian skier on Tuesday Killed in a “very large” avalanche on the part outside the runway mont blanc.
