After a dry winter, heavy snowfall during the second half of March triggered a huge avalanche in the French Alps yesterday, killing six.
The victims were skiing down the Armancette Glacier below the southwest side of the Domes du Miage. It’s a classic, and not particularly risky, ski-mountaineering route in the Mont Blanc massif.
The area where the avalanche struck. Map: Google Maps
The weather was excellent, and avalanche reports indicated limited risk above 2,400m. However, Meteofrance noted that there were still some unstable wind slabs on the higher slopes because of the northeast wind, Montagnes Magazine reported. One of these large slabs broke at 3,400m shortly before 11:30 am yesterday. The 500m wide avalanche swept 1,500 vertical meters down the glacier.
Check the avalanche in this video shared by Claudie Loyer.
Rescuers first reported four people dead, one injured, and eight skiers unharmed. A fifth victim was found later that day, and a sixth person who remained missing was found lifeless this morning.
Two of the deceased skiers were mountain guides from Saint-Gervais.
