Avalanche kills two in French Alps near Les 2 Alpes

Col de Sarenne - Clavans-en-Haut-Oisans-France. Photo: Nicolas Outh- Unsplash. What Will Happen to the English Consumers of the French Mountains after March 29?

Avalanche kills two in the French Alps near Les 2 Alpes

From: AP – The Sun Herald and Le Dauphine –

French officials say two have died after an avalanche in the Alps near the Deux-Alpes ski resort.

St Christophe-en-Oisans. Photo: Quentin Lagache- Unsplash. Avalanche kills person in French Alps; another missing.
St Christophe-en-Oisans. Photo: Quentin Lagache- Unsplash. Avalanche kills person in French Alps; another missing.

The police unit in charge of setting up the rescue operation and authorities in the Isere region said the avalanche struck late Tuesday morning.

The avalanche struck in on off-piste sector near the small town of Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans.

Update from Le Dauphine:

14 H 05  : The accident occurred outside the landscaped area of ​​Les Deux-Alpes, on an area on the Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans side of La Toura, downstream and south of the Grand Creux breach. (2804 m). Côté Deux-Alpes (on the northern slope), several lifts lead to this sector of off-piste skiing: the chairlifts of Toura and Lac Noir. 

Many rescuers are currently working alongside Civil Safety and FAS helicopters. A dog team from the CRS Alpes, two from the resort of Les Deux Alpes and a dog team from Huez are on site. A dozen police officers from the CRS Alpes, trackers and station staff are involved in the research. 

Meteo France, in its bulletin snow and avalanche, reports for Tuesday of a risk 3 (scored) on a scale of 5.

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SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims

An avalanche in the Cenidor trail in Las Leñas, just next to a green trail (Venus). SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims.

SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims. The SLF, (Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research) has been collecting data on all the avalanche accidents that happened in Switzerland since the winter 1936/37. This is an overview of their statistics:

Avalanche victims since 1936

The annual average number of fatalities over the entire period is 25 (Fig. 1).

Figure 1:Avalanche fatalities in Switzerland since 1936/37. The graph illustrates the fall in the number of fatalities in buildings and on transportation routes. The black line shows the 20-years mean values. Its maximal value is 31 and its actual value 23. The long-year mean value since 1936/37 (81 years) is 25. SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims.
Figure 1:Avalanche fatalities in Switzerland since 1936/37. The graph illustrates the fall in the number of fatalities in buildings and on transportation routes. The black line shows the 20-years mean values. Its maximal value is 31 and its actual value 23. The long-year mean value since 1936/37 (81 years) is 25. SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims.

Spatial distribution of fatal accidents during the last twenty years

 More than 90% of the fatal avalanche accidents during the last twenty years occurred in uncontrolled terrain, like for example during off-piste skiing and snowboarding or during backcountry touring on ski or snowshoes. As can be seen in Figure 2, a particularly large number of accidents occurred in the cantons of Valais and Grisons.

Fig. 2: Regional distribution of the fatal avalanche accidents in Switzerland (20 years). For each of the more than 120 subregions, which are the basis for the regionalization of the avalanche bulletin, the number of fatal accidents was counted. The larger a symbol, the more accidents occurred in this region. SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims .
Fig. 2: Regional distribution of the fatal avalanche accidents in Switzerland (20 years). For each of the more than 120 subregions, which are the basis for the regionalization of the avalanche bulletin, the number of fatal accidents was counted. The larger a symbol, the more accidents occurred in this region. SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims .

But what is the reason of this clustering?

Is the clustering of accidents a consequence of a high touring frequency in these regions, or are there other reasons for a higher avalanche accident risk in these regions?

Continue reading “SLF’s Swiss Long-Term Statistics of Avalanche Victims”

Three German Skiers got killed in an Avalanche near the Austrian resort of Lech, fourth is missing

Lech Zürs am Arlberg photo by Sepp Mallaun. Lech Zürs Tourismus GmbH. Three German Skiers got killed in an Avalanche near the Austrian resort of Lech, fourth is missing.

Three German Skiers got killed in an avalanche near the Austrian resort of Lech, the fourth skier is missing. The group was ski touring at the time.

The dead men were from the Upper Swabia area of southwestern Germany. They were found around 11 PM local time after one of their wives alerted that they were missing. They were aged 57, 36 and 32. The fourth missing person, also from southern Germany was 28.

Three German Skiers got killed in an Avalanche near the Austrian resort of Lech, fourth is missing. Photo: Reuters.
Three German Skiers got killed in an Avalanche near the Austrian resort of Lech, fourth is missing. Photo: Reuters.

The search for this fourth person has halted due to heavy avalanche risk.

Police in the Vorarlberg province has said they have located the people through mobile phone tracking near the Lanzeg Zug slope – one of the steepest in the world.

As per the Associated Press, weather-related deaths in parts of Europe this month account to at least 24.

Austria has been hit by large snowfalls this past week, and the avalanche warning levels have gone up while local roads have been cut. The warning level above 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) was on Saturday on a scale of 3 of 5. The slope has been closed due to avalanche danger.

Continue reading “Three German Skiers got killed in an Avalanche near the Austrian resort of Lech, fourth is missing”

Avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland due to dangerous conditions.

Avalanche- Photo: Mike Suarez - Unsplash. Avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland due to dangerous conditions.

Due to dangerous conditions, avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland plus the Weekly Report from the Institute of Snow and Avalanche

News from Swissinfo.ch

Two men, one of 56 years old and one of 31 have died in hospital after being buried in separate avalanches this week. Authorities have placed several areas in high avalanche risk after adverse weather conditions of late.

A skier was trapped by a slab of falling snow in the popular Flumserberg ski area in eastern Switzerland on Thursday 3rd January afternoon. A companion alerted the authorities, sparking a search by police, the fire brigade, alpine rescuers aided by dogs and helicopters.

Avalanche - Naters Belalp. Avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland due to dangerous conditions.
Avalanche – Naters Belalp. Avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland due to dangerous conditions.

The man was found and transported to hospital. But it was announced on Friday that he never recovered from his injuries.

On a second episode, also on Thursday 3rd, a snowboarded was carried away by an avalanche in Davos, in the Graübunden canton in southeast Switzerland. He was dug out by his companions but died from his injuries on Friday.

A second avalanche in the same region on Thursday left another snowboarder with a broken thigh.

Both regions sit in an area stretching from central to southeast Switzerland that is rated as being at the greatest danger of avalanches.

Storms that brought heavy snow and rainfall just before Christmas led the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research  to raise avalanche warnings significantly over large swathes of Switzerland.

Continue reading “Avalanches claimed two lives in Switzerland due to dangerous conditions.”

Three Spaniard Skiers have died and two others are injured in Switzerland after an avalanche in Fiescheralp.

Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (9488635h) Rescue crews move into direction of the avalanche site to search for five hikers who were carried away on 31 March by an avalanche in Obers Taelli over the Fiescheralp, in Fiesch, Switzerland, 01 April 2018. An avalanche reportedly 'carried away' five people on 31 March in Fiesch in the Swiss Upper Valais region. Police said on 01 April that three persons were killed and two others were injured. Rescue works after avalanche in Swiss Alps, Fiesch, Switzerland - 01 Apr 2018. Three Spaniard Skiers have died and two others are injured in Switzerland after an avalanche.

This past Sunday, three Spanish skiers have died, overtaken by an avalanche and two others where found alive in  Fiescheralp, communicated the Swiss Police. This winter and spring were one of the most mortal ones due to avalanches. 

Helicopter searching the Spaniards caught in an avalanche. Photo EFE. Three Spaniard Skiers have died and two others are injured in Switzerland after an avalanche.
Helicopter searching the Spaniards caught in an avalanche. Photo EFE

As per the press release from the Police Office of the Valais canton, of a group of five skiers, three people have died and other two have been found alive. “The first investigations point to the victims being from Spanish origin. The formal identification of the deceased is being taking place”, says the release.



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The five people were part of a group that on Saturday started a ski touring trip in direction of the Fiescheralp station, in the Valais canton, near the Aletsch glacier. When they were at 2,450 meters of altitude, around 16.45 hours (14.45 GMT), an avalanche trapped the five skiers.

Continue reading “Three Spaniard Skiers have died and two others are injured in Switzerland after an avalanche in Fiescheralp.”

Tragedy strikes again in the Verbier region of Switzerland, one skier is dead and three are missing after an avalanche.

Avalanches- Mount Aspiring, an angry mountain, New Zealand- Photo by Aleks Dahlberg- Unsplash.

Tragedy strikes again in the Verbier region of Switzerland, one skier is dead and three are missing after an avalanche.

The authorities have found this past Saturday the lifeless body of one skier in the Verbier region. The group skiing with him is missing.

Verbier - Valais - Another avalanche killed one and three are still missing -
Verbier – Valais – Another avalanche killed one and three are still missing –

 

The dead skier was part of a group of four people that an avalanche caught last Friday. The police of the area have started to look out for the rest of the group.

Continue reading “Tragedy strikes again in the Verbier region of Switzerland, one skier is dead and three are missing after an avalanche.”

Avalanches claim several lives this past weekend in Switzerland

An Avalanche claimed a death in Arolla- Photo: Arolla in Switzerland.

In one report from Swissinfo.ch – a 40-year old hiker and a 57-year-old cross-country skier lost their lives in two separate avalanches in the Swiss Alps in recent days.

Arolla3-photo.
Arolla3-photo.

The hiker was a in a group of four that were swept away by an avalanche on Saturday near a steep gorge at 3,600m above the village of Arolla, which is popular starting point for hiking and ski tours. Rescue services managed to reach them and they were transported to hospitals in Martigny and Sion. However, the 40-year old woman from Valais died on Saturday night in the hospital. The other three hikers are recovering but are not in danger of losing their lives.

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Avalanches: “The risk still persists, one must be vigilant”

Caution avalanche sign - Photo by Nicolas Cool - Unsplash - Avalanche crashes into hotel in eastern Switzerland.

While five people died in Ariège, Savoie and the Hautes-Alpes on Sunday, the risk of avalanches remains important, said Monday an association of Haute-Savoie, specializing in prevention and relief in the mountains.
Océane Vibert, director of the association La Chamoniarde, dedicated to the prevention and rescue in mountains at Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, in Haute-Savoie, warns Monday, February 19 to franceinfo that skiers should take care as the risk of avalanches ” persists ” while five people were killed in the mountains Sunday, February 18 in Ariège, Savoie, and the Hautes-Alpes.

Avalanches are still high risk - photo MAXXP - FranceInfo
Avalanches are still high risk – photo MAXXP – FranceInfo

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