Two Estonian Skiers Killed in Avalanche at Val-d’Isère

The victims were part of a group skiing off-piste without avalanche safety gear when a large snow slab broke loose in high-risk conditions.

The avalanche occurred in the Envers du Cugnaï sector of Val-d’Isère, where the group of six Estonian skiers was skiing off-piste.
A snow slab measuring 100 meters wide and 300 meters long detached, burying four skiers, two of whom could not be saved.
Rescue teams, including pisteurs, avalanche dogs, and helicopter crews, responded quickly but found the two victims in cardiac arrest after being buried for over 40 minutes.
The victims were not equipped with avalanche safety devices, such as beacons or airbags, which could have aided in their survival.
Météo-France had warned of a 'high' avalanche risk with a level 4 out of 5 rating, due to unstable snow layers caused by recent snowfall and strong winds.