Two British men are among three skiers who died after an avalanche struck the Val d’Isere ski resort in the French Alps, local officials have said.
The snowslide hit the village in southeastern France at around 11.30am (10.30am UK time) on Friday.
The third victim was a French national who was skiing alone high up on the mountain slope when he was swept away, according to Cedric Bonnevie, a spokesperson for the resort’s slope management department.
The Britons were in a group of five people and a professional instructor who were lower down the mountain and did not see the approaching danger, he added.
They were off-piste skiing, reports said, something that was “strongly discouraged” according to a message on the resort’s website, citing a “very high avalanche risk”.
Other reports said six skiers in total were swept away, but this has not been confirmed by officials.
France’s national weather forecaster, Meteo-France, issued a red avalanche warning for the Savoie region, which borders Italy, in southeast France on Thursday.
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“Very heavy snowfall” in the Alps has “triggered exceptional avalanche conditions”, the agency said on its website, with up to 60 to 100cm of fresh snow coming down.
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The new snow has landed on an “already unstable snowpack” and on Friday, the avalanche risk level was four (out of five) “across the vast majority” of the Alpine ranges.
“Avalanches are therefore easily triggered by skiers or hikers and can move very large volumes of snow. Extreme caution is advised for all mountain activities outside of marked trails,” Meteo-France said.
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An inquiry into the disaster was under way, Mr Bonnevie said, adding it was not clear what caused the avalanche.
The deaths were confirmed by the Foreign Office, whose spokesperson said it was “aware of an accident in which two British men have died in France”.
“We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to offer consular assistance,” they added.
