At least four killed, nine others injured after avalanche in French Alps

At least four people were killed and nine others were injured after an avalanche in the southwest of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, said the country’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, on Sunday (April 9). Additionally, as per media reports citing officials, at least two others were missing. The search for those missing will continue on early Monday, said local authorities as per the news agency AFP.

The avalanche occurred in the middle of the day at the Armancette glacier in the French Alps, said the country’s interior minister, in a statement. According to the Haute-Savoie department’s prefecture, among those killed were two mountain guides who were caught in the snow rolling down the glacier.

The authorities also said that one person suffered minor injuries in the avalanche while eight others who were swept up were unharmed. Emmanuel Coquand, the spokesperson for the Haute-Savoie, said that those caught in it were backcountry skiing in the mountains, reported Reuters. He added that they are still confirming the identity of the victims.

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There was no avalanche warning issued for the region by France’s weather authority Meteo France but the local authorities suspect that a combination of warmth and wind may have been behind the disaster. “I think it’s the most deadly avalanche this season,” Contamines-Montjoie mayor Francois Barbier told AFP.

The avalanche reportedly covered an area of 1,000 metres by 500 metres at an altitude of 3,500 metres and took place in the glacier that lies near the village and ski resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie, as per media reports. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron took to Twitter and wrote, “We're thinking of (the victims) as well as of their families,” adding that the emergency services have been mobilised to find those still trapped in the snow.

The local authorities have also said that the possibility of a further avalanche could not be ruled out amid rescue operations which were suspended Sunday evening and are set to continue early Monday. The news agencies also reported that emergency responders had deployed a helicopter as well as mountain rescue dogs to the scene.

(With inputs from agencies)

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