WHY PEOPLE DIE IN AVALANCHES
A spate of fatal avalanches has struck the French Alps amid persistently unstable conditions following heavy snowfall. This has prompted renewed warnings from the authorities and stark reminders of the dangers of off-piste skiing during periods of high risk.
Issued on: 12/01/2026 -RFI
A spate of fatal avalanches has struck the French Alps amid persistently unstable conditions following heavy snowfall. This has prompted renewed warnings from the authorities and stark reminders of the dangers of off-piste skiing during periods of high risk.
Issued on: 12/01/2026 -RFI
A flag indicating avalanche risk on Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France. Authorities have warned that unstable snow conditions across the region have sharply increased the risk of deadly avalanches, urging skiers to avoid off-piste terrain. AFP - JEFF PACHOUD
Three more skiers were killed by avalanches in the French Alps on Sunday, taking the death toll over the weekend to six as exceptionally unstable snow conditions continued to claim lives despite repeated warnings from the authorities.
The latest fatalities came a day after three men were swept away while skiing off-piste in Savoie.
Throughout the weekend, the Alpine massifs were classified as high risk because of an unstable snowpack following heavy snowfall.
Speaking on Sunday evening, Vanina Nicoli, the prefect of Savoie, expressed her regret that off-piste skiing – which had been “strongly discouraged” since Friday – had once again resulted in deaths and put both skiers and rescuers in danger. The avalanche risk across much of the region stood at 4 out of 5.
She stressed that the alert issued by Météo-France on Friday, along with the prefecture’s call for “extreme caution”, remains in force for the coming days. Off-piste skiing, she reiterated, is strongly discouraged until the snowpack has stabilised.
Fatal incidents across the Alps
In the Alpine resort of La Plagne, a British skier in his 50s was buried by an avalanche in the early afternoon while skiing off-piste.
A major rescue operation was launched, involving 52 rescuers, avalanche dogs and a helicopter.
Despite their efforts, it took 50 minutes to locate him beneath over 2 metres of snow, and he could not be resuscitated.
Earlier in the day, another off-piste skier was killed in Courchevel, where he was found dead after being buried by an avalanche late in the morning.
Further north in neighbouring Haute-Savoie, a 32-year-old man died after an avalanche struck in the Vallorcine area in mid-afternoon.
The snow slide swept him away while he was skiing off-piste and hurled him against a tree.
He later succumbed to his injuries, according to the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon, which responded to the incident.
The previous day had already been marked by tragedy. Despite repeated warnings, three off-piste skiers died in two separate avalanches in Savoie – two men in Val d'Isère and another in Arêches-Beaufort.
The two men in Val d’Isère were not equipped with avalanche transceivers and could only be located via their mobile phones, buried under 2.5 metres of snow.
By the time they were found, it was too late.
High risk set to continue
Looking ahead, Prefect Nicoli warned that avalanche danger will remain high in the coming days.
The warning comes at a particularly busy time for resorts. After the Christmas holidays, ski areas tend to remain crowded throughout January, increasing the pressure on both slopes and rescue services.
Heavy snowfall on Friday and Saturday also caused widespread disruption.
Around 800 people were forced to spend Saturday night in gymnasiums in Moûtiers, a key transport hub for Savoie’s ski resorts.
Another 29 people were accommodated overnight in an emergency centre, while about 40 people spent part of the night stranded on a bus on the road to the Arc 2000 resort, according to the gendarmerie.
(with newswires)
In the Alpine resort of La Plagne, a British skier in his 50s was buried by an avalanche in the early afternoon while skiing off-piste.
A major rescue operation was launched, involving 52 rescuers, avalanche dogs and a helicopter.
Despite their efforts, it took 50 minutes to locate him beneath over 2 metres of snow, and he could not be resuscitated.
Earlier in the day, another off-piste skier was killed in Courchevel, where he was found dead after being buried by an avalanche late in the morning.
Further north in neighbouring Haute-Savoie, a 32-year-old man died after an avalanche struck in the Vallorcine area in mid-afternoon.
The snow slide swept him away while he was skiing off-piste and hurled him against a tree.
He later succumbed to his injuries, according to the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon, which responded to the incident.
The previous day had already been marked by tragedy. Despite repeated warnings, three off-piste skiers died in two separate avalanches in Savoie – two men in Val d'Isère and another in Arêches-Beaufort.
The two men in Val d’Isère were not equipped with avalanche transceivers and could only be located via their mobile phones, buried under 2.5 metres of snow.
By the time they were found, it was too late.
High risk set to continue
Looking ahead, Prefect Nicoli warned that avalanche danger will remain high in the coming days.
The warning comes at a particularly busy time for resorts. After the Christmas holidays, ski areas tend to remain crowded throughout January, increasing the pressure on both slopes and rescue services.
Heavy snowfall on Friday and Saturday also caused widespread disruption.
Around 800 people were forced to spend Saturday night in gymnasiums in Moûtiers, a key transport hub for Savoie’s ski resorts.
Another 29 people were accommodated overnight in an emergency centre, while about 40 people spent part of the night stranded on a bus on the road to the Arc 2000 resort, according to the gendarmerie.
(with newswires)
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