Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

French Alps avalanche: At least three people killed while hiking in national park

Search for further victims called off, say local media

Jon Sharman
Tuesday 09 May 2017 07:34 EDT
Comments
Bonneval-sur-Arc in winter
Bonneval-sur-Arc in winter (Wikimedia/BusterBrown)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Three hiking skiers have died in an avalanche in the French Alps.

It reportedly happened near Bonneval-sur-Arc in the Vanoise national park.

According to Le Dauphine, only three people were caught up in the snow-slide. Gabriel Blanc, mayor of Bonneval-sur-Arc, told the site the search for survivors was over.

He said: "We know from a reliable source that they were only three."

Other French media reports suggested a mix of recent rain and snow, alongside milder temperatures, had weakened the packed snow on the ground in the area.

The Savoie prefecture said the avalanche struck at about noon on Tuesday. Local media said the victims included two men and a woman.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in