Three skiers, including two British nationals, were killed Friday (February 13) when an avalanche struck an off-piste area at the upscale Val d’Isère resort in the French Alps.
The deadly snowslide occurred around 11:30 a.m. in the Manchet valley, carrying six skiers down the mountainside and into a stream below, according to local authorities. One French national was also among those killed.
“We arrived at the scene and quickly found two victims, as they were equipped with all the necessary gear, including avalanche transceivers,” said Cédric Bonnevie, director of the Val d’Isère ski patrol. The avalanche “swept down the slope for 400 metres and ended in a stream, where we found the other two victims, who had died.”
The tragedy occurred just one day after Météo-France, the national weather service, had placed the area under a rare red alert for avalanche risk. This danger level has only been issued twice before in the 25 years since the warning system was introduced.
Benoît Bachelet, the Albertville public prosecutor, confirmed that the two British victims were part of a group of four skiers accompanied by a professional instructor who was skiing off-piste at the time. All were properly equipped with avalanche safety gear. A third British citizen suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Storm Nils had recently dumped between 24-39 inches of fresh snow across the region, creating what Météo-France described as “very unstable snow cover,” particularly above 1,800 to 2,000 meters altitude. While the red alert was lifted Friday, the risk level remained high at four out of five.
The avalanche in Val d’Isère is part of a deadly winter season in the Alps. At least 25 avalanche deaths have been reported in France this season, including two skiers killed in separate incidents earlier this week.
The Val d’Isère tourist office has offered condolences to the families of the victims and strongly recommended that skiers “stay in the safe and marked areas” of the resort. Authorities continue to advise against off-piste activities, ski touring, and snowshoeing while conditions remain dangerous.
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