Avalanche Kills 6, Including Mountain Guides, in French Alps
An avalanche rolling down the Armancette glacier in Contamines-Montjoie, France, in the Haute-Savoie region, some 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) southwest of Chamonix on April 9, 2023. (Contamines Montjoie via AP)
PARIS—The death toll from Sunday’s avalanche in the French Alps rose to six, including two mountain guides, local authorities said Monday.
The prosecutor’s office in Bonneville, in the Haute-Savoie region, said the body of a sixth person was found after searches resumed on Monday morning.
The prefecture of Haute-Savoie said one person was sent to the hospital with minor injuries. Eight other people were found unharmed.
No details have been provided on the identity of the victims.
The avalanche on Sunday rolled down the Armancette glacier in Contamines-Montjoie, in the Haute-Savoie region, some 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) southwest of Chamonix.
The Alps are a prime vacation spot over France’s Easter long weekend. The local France-Bleu radio station put the size of the avalanche at 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) long and 100 meters (328 feet) wide.
National weather agency Meteo France had not issued a specific avalanche warning for Sunday, assessing the risk as “limited.”
