Deadly avalanches hit the Alps
Monday January 4, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

The latest fatalities are in Switzerland.

Three people, including at least one rescuer, were killed in the Diemtigtal valley about 40km south of  Bern.

The dead rescuer was a doctor who had been trying to assist skiers caught by an avalanche when another one occured.

Six people were injured and it was not clear as night fell whether everyone had been accounted for.

In a separate incident a man died in an avalanche near Verbier. It is thought he was skiing with a mountain guide who was dug out of the slide.

The accident in Les Arcs, France, also involved a mountain guide.

The vicitms were a mountain guide and 2 of his clients. All were equipped with the correct safety gear and it follows warnings of very dangerous conditions across many parts of The Alps.

They were struck while skiing off piste in an area of the Savoie region of France on Friday.  It was in the North East facing Combe des Lanchettes in Les Arcs.

The avalanche was huge - approximately 1000m wide at its start and it was around 10m high.  2 bodies were dug out on Friday and a third one loctaed under 10m of snow but it was unable to be retrieved until Saturday.

Considerable dangerAn investigation into the incident is under way as it is relatively unusual for people to get caught while with a qualified guide, though of course it does happen and goes to show that no-one is infallible in the high mountain environment

The 35 year old guide has been named as Benjamin Gaimard who worked for Arc Aventures The company was set up by his father, Alain. He was a well know figure in the local community.

All three had avalanche airbags on and were wearing transceivers.

The avalanche danger across many parts on the Alps is 3 on a scale of 5 which means the danger is "considerable".

7 people have so far died this winter in France. A British man died in Chamonix in the La Tour area on Christmas Day and there have been a number of deaths in Italy too.

Here on PlanetSKI we will bring you further details of the tragedy in Les Arcs later and a look at the risk around the Alps at the moment.

We have also heard of an avalanche in Zermatt involving a number of snowboarders, including some children.  It appears a group of teenage snowboarders triggered an avalanche that hit a marked run and buried a family.  Passers by and staff from a nearby restuarant dug them out and no-one was seriously hurt. 

The snowboarders are likely to be charged.

We have also heard that a Frenchman has died in hospital from his injurie after being swept away in an avalanche on New Year's Eve in Val Thorens.  PlanetSKI has a reporter in the resort and he will be filing the full story later.

If you are out in the Alps at the moment do please take care and obey all the safety rules.

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