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Avalanche at La Plagne Sweeps Six Off-Piste Skiers, Two Seriously Injured

Authorities say persistent winds have raised slab instability despite a limited danger level.

Overview

  • The slide struck around midday on the north face of Bellecôte at about 2,500 meters in the Tarentaise valley, according to the mountain gendarmerie.
  • A 60-year-old man in cardiac arrest was resuscitated and a 50-year-old woman was extracted polytraumatized before both were flown to Grenoble hospital.
  • Among the four less-severely affected, one skier was partially buried and freed himself, another slid roughly 100 meters, and two were treated for shock.
  • More than a dozen responders, including two doctors, a search-dog handler, and seven piste patrollers, carried out the rescue operations.
  • Météo France rated the Haute-Tarentaise at level 2 above 2,100 meters, with PGHM warning of wind-formed slabs, while nearby Haute-Maurienne was at level 4.