Here are some more facts about the deadly avalanche on the Eiger yesterday.
Falling ice triggered the major slide down the west flank of the Eiger yesterday at 1:45 pm local time. Two groups of ski tourers were passing below in the slide path. Seven were buried, and the eighth skier emerged unharmed.
” One man died at the scene, and a second man, who was resuscitated on the scene, died shortly thereafter in the hospital,” the Swiss Police reported. “Four other men and one woman were flown to hospitals with injuries.”
Popular spot
The train station of Kleine Scheidegg, where the rescue team left yesterday in poor weather. Photo: Police.be.ch
The avalanche fell above the ski area of Grindenwald-Wengen and not far from the popular train station of Kleine Scheidegg. Thousands of tourists take the Jungfrau train that goes through a tunnel carved into the Eiger and then continues until the Jungfraujoch.
While the ski resorts close after Easter, May is still a great month for ski touring in the Alps, especially in high-altitude areas such as the Bernese Oberland.
Increasing risk
As temperatures rise in central Europe, avalanches and falling ice are common across the Alps. Last Thursday, a serac fall caused another serious avalanche on the highly popular Mont Blanc du Tacul near Chamonix. No one was harmed. Check live conditions in the Chamonix area here.
The avalanche that fell last Thursday on Mont Blanc du Tacul. Photo: Chamonix.com
