At least four people died in an avalanche in the French Alps near Chamonix. According to initial findings, several people were also injured, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin wrote on Twitter late on Sunday. Rescue work is still ongoing.
The victims were skiing in the mountains, said Emmanuel Coquand, spokesman for the Haute-Savoie local authorities, adding that the victims’ identities had not yet been established.
Eight people survived the accident unharmed. The glacier is close to the village and ski resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie. The avalanche was extensive, covering an area of one kilometer by 500 meters at an altitude of 3,500 meters. The causes are being investigated.
Avalanche exploded around noon
The glacier is close to the village and ski resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie. The avalanche was extensive, covering an area of one kilometer by 500 meters at an altitude of 3,500 meters. The causes are being investigated.
According to Darmanin, the avalanche landed around noon on the Armancette glacier, near Mont Blanc on the Franco-Italian border.
Mont Blanc (also spelled Mont Blanc, Italian Monte Bianco, in German “White Mountain”) is the highest mountain in the Alps. Darmanin thanked the rescuers. It honors the victims and their families.
President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter that the emergency services are continuing to look for the victims and that his thoughts are with the victims and their families.