Terrifying Avalanche Engulfs Skiers at French Alps Resort
This is the horrifying moment an avalanche swept skiers away as it crashed over a piste at a top French ski resort. According to local reports from Le Dauphiné, the snowslide occurred around midday on Tuesday at La Flégère, near the renowned French Alps town of Chamonix.
Harrowing Footage Captures the Chaos
Disturbing footage showed a massive wall of snow crashing into three skiers at breakneck speed. Horrified witnesses shouted and screamed in terror as the snow buried them. A group of skiers who had narrowly avoided being hit by the avalanche were seen sliding away in fear, while two individuals, appearing to be instructors or rescuers, arrived at the site after the snow had settled.
Local media confirmed that three people were buried up to their necks, but they are now safe and sound. The avalanche originated on the slopes overlooking the top of La Flégère's Floria ski lift. Over a space of approximately 330 feet, two ski runs were swallowed up by the snowslide, affecting the beginning of the Crochues red run and the Floria black run.
Massive Rescue Effort Mobilised
At the time, the rescue effort involved ski patrollers, a high-mountain gendarmerie platoon, as well as guides and instructors mobilising to search for any other victims. On top of the rescue party of 60, four dogs were deployed. It is believed that the area had not experienced an avalanche before Tuesday.
The region has seen significant snowfall in recent days, with local media reporting that a snowstorm hit the area last week. This winter has been dubbed Europe's deadliest ski season on record, with avalanches claiming 86 lives in the first two months of the year alone.
Europe's Deadly Ski Season Context
In the Italian Alps, 13 climbers, hikers, skiers, and snowboarders were killed in a single week – more than any other week on record. Meanwhile, in France, 28 people have been killed this winter in the popular Valloire area, including two British skiers.
According to scientists, a perfect mix of weather patterns and the popularity of off-piste skiing are to blame for the slew of deadly snowslides. Frederic Jarry, project manager at the French National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches, told the Daily Mail: 'This is a winter unlike any we've experienced in the past few years.'
Skiers are facing snow with a soft, crumbly layer trapped beneath a heavy slab known as a 'persistent weak layer', experts explain. With this fragile crust holding up an entire winter of snow, it only takes the slightest disturbance from an off-piste skier to send a wall of snow and ice sliding down the mountain.
