Tragic Avalanche Claims Lives of Five Skiers in French Alps

Tue Oct 21 2025 20:10:09 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Five lives were lost in two devastating avalanches in the French Alps, igniting safety concerns among skiers.

On Wednesday, tragedy struck in the French Alps when five skiers, including four Norwegians, were killed in two separate avalanches in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. The first avalanche occurred in Val-Cenis, affecting a group of seven skiers who were skiing off-piste. The initial reports confirmed that three Norwegians died on the spot, while a fourth skiers succumbed to injuries after suffering from severe hypothermia and cardiac arrest. Local authorities noted that all skiers were equipped with avalanche beacons during the excursion.

Mayor Jacques Arnoux provided insights into the incident, highlighting the significant size of the avalanche triggered outside the secured ski area. Meanwhile, the second incident claimed the life of a Swiss woman in the Mont Blanc massif region. The victim, aged 30, was skiing with her brother and father when the disaster struck; her brother remains hospitalized for tests, while their father was unharmed. It was reported that all three were also equipped with anti-avalanche airbags.

Earlier this week, a separate avalanche led to the death of a 55-year-old Brazilian-Portuguese skier in the Mont Blanc region, raising alarming questions regarding safety measures for off-piste skiing in the area.