Where to Ski And Snowboard - Three skiers die in three avalanches

Three skiers die in three avalanches

15th February 2013, by Abi Butcher

Skiers were caught in avalanches in Verbier, Nendaz and Zinal in the Val d'Anniviers (library pic)

Today the Alps are sunny with warmer weather that’s likely to continue over the weekend, but after a fortnight of heavy snow, three avalanches have claimed the lives of three skiers in Valais, Switzerland this week. Two slides happened in Nendaz/Verbier on Wednesday and one in Zinal in the Val d’Anniviers on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, a 52-year-old Swiss woman was killed while skiing off-piste. She was with three other skiers and a snowboarder in the Corne de Sorebois area at 2,600m when the avalanche hit them.

According to a police statement, the woman was swept away when the 500m-long, 20m wide slide swept down a couloir at 3.45pm. A rescue team involving two helicopters, two guides, patrollers and a doctor found her body. She was wearing an avalanche transceiver.

The body of a man buried by an avalanche in Saint Luc in the Val d’Anniviers on 4 February has still not been found.

In Nendaz on Wednesday, a series of avalanches left one person dead and six with injuries. At 10am a group of six ski tourers were swept away by an avalanched caused by a snow slab breaking loose at 3,100m at Bec des Etagnes between Mont-Fort and Lac de Cleuson.

The Swiss skiers were aged between 15 and 55. Two escaped injury, two were flown to hospital in Sion in a critical condition and two were treated for minor injuries. One of the critically injured skiers, a 48-year-old woman from Geneva, has since died.

A second avalanche on Wednesday afternoon killed a 20-year-old Swedish skier who was part of a group skiing off-piste in the Plan du Fou area. He was wearing an avalanche transceiver.

So far this winter, 10 people have died in avalanches in Switzerland. The avalanche risk today across the whole country is 2 – moderate.