Europe
6 years ago

French Alps avalanche kills father, daughter

Photo Courtesy: EPA
Photo Courtesy: EPA

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An avalanche in the French Alps has taken the lives of a father and his daughter while they were skiing, say rescue officials.

The man, 43, and his 11-year-old daughter were from the Paris region and disappeared on a slope in the Pisaillas glacier area of the Val d'Isère resort.

The area had been closed because of the avalanche risk, officials said.

The pair was found on Sunday at an altitude of about 2,930m (9,670 ft), reports the BBC citing officials.

A cross-country skier was also killed in a separate incident in the region.

The disappearance of the father and daughter on Sunday sparked large-scale search operations involving helicopters and rescue teams from the High Mountain Police.

They were discovered in the early afternoon in a hollow surrounded by cliffs.

Authorities have launched an investigation into why they were skiing in an area determined to be at risk after rescue services warned skiers to stay on marked slopes.

Meanwhile, an avalanche in Switzerland over the weekend also injured two hikers.

The pair was caught in the Col de Fenestral area and taken to hospital. Their injuries were not serious, authorities said.

On Sunday, police issued a warning that several avalanches had been triggered in the southern region, which is towards the French border.

Very heavy snow this winter has caused sufferings for many alpine resorts.

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