Four killed by avalanche in resort full of Britons enjoying half-term
FOUR snowboarders were killed yesterday when a huge avalanche buried them in a wall of snow and ice 100 yards wide at the popular French ski resort of Tignes.
The victims were a 48-year-old father, his 15-year-old son and a 19-yearold half-brother, as well as their 49year-old ski instructor. Two were still alive when rescuers pulled them out of the snow, but died soon afterwards.
The avalanche, which was 400 yards long, happened on an off-piste slope at an altitude of 2,100 metres. It was apparently set off by skiers higher up, officials said.
The resort was packed with British families during the school half-term holidays, but the four killed were French, said police. The victims were on foot, carrying their snowboards, when they were struck by the avalanche. A third teenager escaped because he left the group after completing the run once while the others went back for a second descent.
Initial reports that another five people were missing triggered a frantic search involving two helicopters, sniffer dogs and more than 100 rescuers. They shovelled through the mass of snow left by the avalanche until it emerged that the five reported missing had not, in fact, joined the group. The avalanche risk at Tignes yesterday was three on a scale of five, which means a single skier can trigger an avalanche. Daniel Goetz, of the French meteorological service, described it as a “slab” avalanche, caused when dense, windpacked snow breaks off.
It was the deadliest incident in the French Alps this winter. An avalanche buried a hotel in Italy last month, killing 29 people.