A 27-year-old British man has tragically died after being caught in an avalanche in the French ski resort of Val Thorens, following intense storms that battered the Alps with heavy snow and rain.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was standing at the side of a road on the lower outskirts of the town when a sudden wall of snow struck, sweeping him approximately 15 metres downhill.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning, and emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene after being alerted by a witness.
According to local authorities, two municipal police officers and three gendarmes on patrol managed to extract the victim, who was already in cardiorespiratory arrest. He was transported to a hospital in Grenoble but sadly passed away later that evening.
The avalanche occurred amid red-level avalanche alerts issued for France’s Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions, as well as other parts of the Alps, where extreme weather has caused severe disruption. Heavy snowfall, rainfall, and flooding have impacted mountain towns, transport links, and thousands of homes.
At least four people have died as a result of this bout of extreme weather in France, Italy, and Switzerland.
The widespread damage has cut off alpine resorts, blocked roads, and led to power outages across the region.
In Italy, a 64-year-old man and his 33-year-old son were found dead after their vehicle was swept away near Vicenza while heading to assist with flood-related rescues.
In another tragic case, a 92-year-old man was found deceased in his flooded home in Piedmont.
Meteorologists described Thursday’s snowfall as “exceptionally unusual” for April, with up to 110cm reported in the French resort of Tignes, prompting local officials to instruct residents and tourists to remain indoors. Other areas saw accumulations between 80 and 90cm, straining emergency services and disrupting operations.
Transport across the region has also been severely affected. In France, over 3,300 homes lost electricity, while more than 5,000 were left without power in Italy.
The Mont Blanc tunnel connecting France and Italy was closed to heavy goods traffic due to safety concerns, leaving many vehicles stranded. Train services have been similarly affected, with delays and suspensions reported.
In Switzerland, the canton of Valais experienced “exceptional” snowfall, and in the town of Sion, authorities urged all 36,000 residents to remain at home for their safety.
With the Easter holiday bringing skiers to the Alps, authorities across all three countries have warned tourists to stay on designated pistes and to avoid off-piste skiing due to the elevated avalanche risk.
While snow in April is not rare in the region, the scale and intensity of this weather event caught both residents and officials off guard.
