A BRITISH man has been killed after he was swept 50ft to his death in a horrific avalanche at the popular French ski resort Val Thorens.
The 27-year-old was discovered buried under the snow at the entrance of the resort on Thursday, following a massive snow storm.
AlamyA Brit man was killed after being swept in an avalanche at Val Thorens ski resort, France[/caption]
The 27-year-old was found buried under snow at the resort’s entranceOT Val Thorens
A rescue helicopter was scrambled to airlift him to safety – but fierce winds and whiteout conditions forced it to abort the mission.
Emergency services then rushed him to Grenoble Hospital but he was tragically declared dead at the medical centre on Friday morning, reports Francebleu.
The man had been staying with friends at the UCPA centre at the popular resort before the tragedy struck.
Ludovic Trautmann, director of the Savoie prefecture, explained: “Four landslides have been reported in Les Menuires and Val Thorens – two of which reached the town centre.
“Given the conditions in the coming days, we are calling for the utmost vigilance.
“The buried person was affected by the landslide at the bottom of the resort.”
The deadly avalanche broke out shortly after 10am and swept the man around 15 metres down the access road to the resort, leaving him trapped under thick snow.
After a witness raised the alarm, two municipal police officers and three gendarmes on foot rushed to the scene.
Officers managed to dig him out and perform emergency CPR as he lay in cardio-respiratory arrest.
The Albertville prosecutor confirmed the man was lying at the side of the road when the avalanche hit and was quickly buried.
The Savoie region has since been placed under an orange avalanche alert by Météo France, with warnings of more snow and high risk in the coming days.
Val Thorens and the neighbouring resort of Tignes were also forced to issue lockdown orders, telling tourists and locals to remain indoors for their own safety.
In Tignes, more than 3.5ft of snow fell overnight, forcing locals into lockdown.
“All cars are covered up to the roof… Just walking outside is worrying,” said Mathis, a hotel worker in the area.
Elsewhere in the Alps, chaos unfolded as an “exceptional” spring storm swept across France, Italy and Switzerland – shutting roads, cancelling trains and leaving thousands without power.
In Italy, two men – a father and son aged 64 and 33 – were found dead near Vicenza after their car was swept away by floodwaters as they attempted to help with rescue efforts.
A third victim, a 92-year-old man, drowned in his flooded home in the Piedmont region.
In Switzerland, the 36,000 residents of Sion were ordered to stay home amid fears of avalanches and flooding.
Dozens of trucks became stranded on the A43 highway linking Italy and France after being barred from the Mont Blanc tunnel, and more than 8,000 homes across the region were left without power.
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AlamyThe 27-year-old died following the avalanche at the resort (file photo)[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
