Two Britons among three dead after avalanche in French Alps | France

Two British people were among the three skiers who died due to an avalanche in the French Alps.

The pair were part of a group of five off-piste skiers in Val d’Isère in southeastern France, accompanied by an instructor. A French citizen who was skiing alone also died.

Albertville prosecutor Benoit Bachelet said the ski instructor who prevented the injury tested negative after blood and drug tests. Another British person suffered minor injuries, he added.

An involuntary manslaughter investigation has been opened by the Albertville prosecutor’s office and will be conducted by the CRS Alpes mountain rescue police.

France’s national weather service issued a red alert for the region on Thursday due to avalanche risk.

Avalanches due to recent unstable snow conditions in the Italian Alps have killed 11 people in seven days.

Among the dead was a 70-year-old hiker who was found dead in the Veneto region of the country hosting the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics last Sunday.

Italy’s rescue service said there was an avalanche risk in most of the Alps from west to east.

The rescue service told Reuters that even the movement of a single skier could trigger an avalanche as fresh snow accumulates in old and unstable layers.