Many skiers swept away by avalanche at French ski resort - emergency workers

 

LYON, France (Reuters) - Many skiers were swept away by an avalanche at Tignes ski resort in the French Alps on Tuesday, first aid workers told Reuters.

 

A police spokesman quoted by local newspaper Le Dauphine said several people were buried by the avalanche that came down on a busy ski slope.

 

(Reporting by Catherine Lagrange; wirting by Adrian Croft, editing by John Irish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-3-7

Avalanche at French ski resort Tignes sweeps away many skiers - emergency workers

 

LYON, France (Reuters) - Many skiers were swept away by an avalanche at Tignes ski resort in the French Alps on Tuesday, first aid workers told Reuters, although it was not immediately clear if there were any victims.

 

The avalanche came down at about 10 A.M. (0900 GMT) in the Val Claret area of the resort, near a relatively easy "blue" slope, a local emergency services spokesman said.

 

The vast Tignes ski area was entirely closed and skiers were evacuated by resort staff and police.

 

Rescue conditions were difficult because of fog which made it impossible for emergency workers from outside the resort to get there by helicopter. They had to come by road instead.

 

The avalanche risk was high on Tuesday at four on a scale of five.

 

Four people were killed in an avalanche at Tignes on Feb. 13, local authorities said.

 

(Reporting by Catherine Lagrange and Pascal Rossignol; writing by Adrian Croft, editing by John Irish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-3-7

I thought they blasted mountains with explosives, on ski runs when it looked dangerous, so that avalanches didn't happen. I can understand that avalanches happen off piste. Lets hope that at 10am not too many people were on the piste.

I wonder if they did the blasting that day.  Would be a terrible act of negligence if they did not.  At this time of day the slopes would be packed.

All OK it seems.....http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39192167

Good, that all are OK.