At least 4 hikers killed in avalanche in French Alps
An avalanche struck near Mont Blanc in southeastern France on Sunday, killing four people and leaving two more missing, officials said. France’s interior minister said the death toll was provisional, according to the Associated Press.
Among the dead were two mountain guides who were caught in the snow tumbling down the Armanset Glacier, the department of Haute-Savoie said.
Investigators had been called in to assist in the search for two people still missing in the Alps.
According to the prefecture, one person was slightly injured in the avalanche, and eight people who were swept away survived.
The avalanche tumbled down the Armanset glacier in Contamine-Montjoie in the Haute-Savoie region, about 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) southwest of Chamonix, AP reported. The avalanche covered an area of 1,000 meters by 500 meters.
Meteorological agency Meteor France had not issued an avalanche warning for the area, but the department added that a combination of warmth and winds may have been behind the disaster.
President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “We are thinking of (the victims) and their families.
“Our emergency services have been mobilized to find those still trapped in the snow.”
Emergency responders dispatched helicopters and mountain rescue dogs to the scene, but the prefecture warned that further avalanches could not be ruled out.
Operations were suspended for the evening and will resume at 7:00 am local time on Monday.
“I think it’s the deadliest avalanche of the season,” François Barbier, mayor of Contamine-Montjoie, told AFP.
Two brothers died in an avalanche on the same glacier in 2014. Both were experienced climbers in his 20s.
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At least four killed in avalanche in French Alps
At least 4 hikers killed in avalanche in French Alps
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An avalanche struck near Mont Blanc in southeastern France on Sunday, killing four people and leaving two more missing, officials said. France’s interior minister said the death toll was provisional, according to the Associated Press.Among the dead were two mountain guides who were caught in the snow tumbling down the Armanset Glacier, the department of Haute-Savoie said. Investigators had been called in to assist in the search for two people still missing in the Alps.
According to the prefecture, one person was slightly injured in the avalanche, and eight people who were swept away survived.The avalanche tumbled down the Armanset glacier in Contamine-Montjoie in the Haute-Savoie region, about 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) southwest of Chamonix, AP reported. The avalanche covered an area of 1,000 meters by 500 meters.
Meteorological agency Meteor France had not issued an avalanche warning for the area, but the department added that a combination of warmth and winds may have been behind the disaster. President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: “We are thinking of (the victims) and their families. “Our emergency services have been mobilized to find those still trapped in the snow.” Emergency responders dispatched helicopters and mountain rescue dogs to the scene, but the prefecture warned that further avalanches could not be ruled out.
Operations were suspended for the evening and will resume at 7:00 am local time on Monday. “I think it’s the deadliest avalanche of the season,” François Barbier, mayor of Contamine-Montjoie, told AFP. Two brothers died in an avalanche on the same glacier in 2014. Both were experienced climbers in his 20s.
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