At least five skiers died and several others were seriously hurt in a spate of avalanches in the French Alps, police said today.
Three skiers were found dead after being swept away while skiing off piste near Mount Joly, above the popular resort of Megeve in the Haute-Savoie region, police in Chamonix said.
The victims were a ski guide and two of his clients. The alarm was raised by fellow guides after the party failed to return to Megeve as expected.
In a separate incident in Prapoutel-les-sept-Laux in the Isere region, a 23-year-old woman skiing off piste with seven companions was killed, mountain rescue services in Grenoble said.
A man aged around 20 was in a serious condition in hospital suffering from hypothermia after being buried under the snow in the avalanche. The other skiers escaped unhurt.
Meanwhile, police in the town of Chambery said a 20-year-old man buried by an avalanche yesterday in the resort of Valmorel had died from his injuries in hospital.
AFP