An avalanche struck the French Alps ski resort of Tignes on Tuesday morning slamming into a piste. There are reports several people were swept away.
Specialist French mountain police were called out to Tignes on Tuesday when an avalanche thundered into a ski run at the popular resort.
The avalanche struck just after 10am on the medium level blue ski slope called “Carline” (see map below) in the Tignes Val Claret area.
While there was no immediate confirmation of any injuries or fatalities, L’Express newspaper said police have confirmed that several skiers were buried in the snow.
A major rescue operation was underway and the ski station has been closed while all staff have been sent to the affected area to search for survivors.
“According to witnesses, there are many people under the avalanche,” a regional spokesman for the French Gendarmerie told the local Dauphiné Liberé newspaper.
The rescue operation is made very difficult by the lack of visibility which has prevented rescue teams from sending helicopters to the affected area.
The avalanche warning level for Tignes on Tuesday was at level four out of five, meaning there was a “strong” (fort) likelihood of avalanches because the snow is considered unstable on several mountain slopes (not the pistes).
In theory the warning levels refer to off-piste areas and slopes that are closed due to an avalanche risk.
These avalanches could be triggered by a small number of skiers.
In recent years avalanches have caused the deaths of many skiers in the French Alps, but they mostly occurred in off-piste areas, where the risk is much higher.
Ski patrols (‘Securité des Pistes’) typically set off deliberate avalanches with explosives to ensure skiers are safe when they hit the pistes.
