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LYON – Seven people died in a series of avalanches that struck the French Alps over the weekend, emergency authorities said Sunday.
On Sunday, two female skiers lost their lives in the Savoie region: a woman in her seventies was hit by an avalanche while cross-country skiing in Areches Beaufort, and a 45-year-old Swiss woman who was skiing off-piste in La Toussuire.
On Saturday, two people died while snow-shoe trekking in Flaine in the Haute-Savoie region after a suspected collapse of a ledge.
The body of a 21-year-old man was also uncovered by a team of detection dogs after he was buried in a metre of snow while backcountry skiing in the Deux-Alpes resort.
Finally, two skiers, aged 16 and 18, also died while skiing off-piste in Saint-Francois-Longchamp at the Valmorel resort, despite the efforts of the emergency services to revive them.
The brother of one of the teenagers was rescued and cleared by a local hospital.
French weather forecasters gave an avalanche warning on Saturday.
[AFP / Expatica]