French Alps Snow Falls at an Altitude of 3.500 Meters, Four People Killed

One corner of the Alps in the French region. (Wikimedia Commons/Pasikivi)

JAKARTA - Four people were killed and nine others injured in an avalanche southwest of Mont Blanc, Alps, France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Sunday.

The avalanche occurred at midday on the Armancette Glacier, he wrote on Twitter. This glacier is located near the village and ski resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie.

Those trapped inside were skiing in the mountains, said Emmanuel Coquand, a spokesman for the Haute-Savoie Regional Government, adding that they were still confirming the identities of the victims.

He further explained that the avalanche was very large, covering an area of ​​one kilometer by 500 meters (half a mile by 550 meters) at an altitude of 3.500 meters. The cause of the landslide is still being investigated.

Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter that rescue teams were still looking for further victims, expressing their condolences to the victims and their families.

The Alps themselves are the ultimate getaway during the long Easter weekend in France.

"To find those still buried in snow, emergency services have been deployed," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said, without providing details in his tweet about the deaths.

Local radio station France-Bleu said the avalanche was up to 1,000 meters long and 100 meters wide. Two helicopters were dispatched to help with the search, the radio station said, citing the local prefecture of Thonon.

It is known that this avalanche is one of the most serious that has occurred in France in recent years. Since 2018 there have been three avalanches that have caused death.

On 8 May 2021, seven people died in two avalanches in the Alps, the first in Valloire (Savoie), in the area of ​​the Galibier pass, and the second in the Vanoise massif.

While on 3 May 2021, five people lost their lives in two separate avalanches, three people were swept away in the Ecrins massif (Hautes-Alpes), and another two in the Ailefroide sector (Isère).

Far back, on March 2, 2018, four French ski tourists were killed and a fifth injured in an avalanche in Entraunes (Alpes-Maritimes), while their guide was found safe and sound. The group is on the edge of the Mercantour national park, far from any ski areas.