British skier killed in avalanche in French Alps
A British man has died in an avalanche in the French Alps, authorities confirmed.
The man, believed to be in his 50s, was skiing off-piste with a group at La Plagne, according to a statement from the resort, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
Rescuers were alerted to the avalanche at 13:57 local time (12:57 GMT) on Sunday and rushed to the area immediately.
After a 50-minute search, the man was found buried under 2.5 metres (8 feet) of snow.
La Plagne officials said he had been skiing without an avalanche transceiver or a professional instructor.
The resort expressed condolences, stating that its thoughts were with the man’s family.
The rescue team was made up of more than 50 people including medics, ski instructors and a helicopter-deployed dog.
La Plagne's official website prompts visitors wanting to ski off-piste, also known as backcountry skiing, to make sure they have read the Avalanche Risk Bulletin and to use an avalanche victim detector.
December through to February is peak season for avalanches in the northern hemisphere.
Only last month, five German climbers, including a 17-year-old girl and her father, died in an avalanche in Italy's Dolomite mountains.
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