Avalanche kills two skiers in Italian Alps
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Two skiers were killed and another was injured Sunday when a popular freeski route on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif near the French-Swiss border was ripped apart by an off-trail avalanche, officials said.
Three skiers were swept away in a Sunday morning slide along the Couloir Vesses, a well-known off-piste route in the upper Val Veny region of Courmayeur, according to Italy’s Alpine Rescue, the Associated Press reported.
Fifteen rescuers, three dog units and two helicopters participated in the search and rescue operations. One victim was hospitalized in serious condition but later died, the agency said.
A man in Trentino was partially buried in an avalanche but was pulled to safety by his friends, authorities said.
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This brochure image published by the Italian Alpine Rescue Organization shows an avalanche that killed two people on Sunday, February 15, 2026, on the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route in Courmayeur in the upper Val Veny region of northern Italy. (AP, Italian Alps Rescue via HO)
The fatal slide took place in the middle of a particularly dangerous area in the Italian Alps. Italy’s Alpine Rescue Agency said last week that 13 climbers, climbers and hikers died in the Italian mountains in the week ending Feb. 8, with 10 of those deaths caused by avalanches linked to unusually unstable snowpacks.
Recent storms dumped fresh snow on fragile layers below, while strong winds created unstable drifts, creating dangerous conditions in the Alpine arc on the border of France, Switzerland and Austria, officials said.
The National Alpine and Caving Rescue Associations said the real problem stems from “persistent weak layers in the snowpack, often covered by fresh snow or wind, conditions that make detachments unpredictable and are easily triggered by the passing of even a single skier or climber.” “Dangerous spots are many and difficult to detect even for an expert.”
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The crew of Vigili del Fuoco carries out a rescue operation by helicopter in the snow-covered mountainous area. (Vigili del Fuoco)
Federico Catania, spokesman for Italy’s Alpine Rescue Troops, said recent snowstorms had attracted visitors seeking to take advantage of the new slopes, and as a result “the number of accidents and therefore deaths has increased proportionally,” the AP reported.
Courmayeur, a town of about 2,900 people, is located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of Milan, the host city of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The incidents took place on February 6, as the Winter Olympics were starting in the region.
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Two Vigili del Fuoco crew members stand near an open door inside the helicopter during a snowy mountain operation. (Vigili del Fuoco)
Officials emphasized that the competition venues, located in Lombardy near the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto and Val di Fiemme in Trentino, are safe, well-maintained and closely monitored.
“There is no danger to people skiing at the ski resorts under management and, in particular, there is no risk to the Olympic venues,” Catania said in a previous statement. he said. “All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of the Olympic events.”
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Before the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said teams would take safety precautions for all visitors to the venues.
Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
