© Helen McGrory/SeeChamonix.com
© France Meteo
Three dead in Courmayeur avalanche
Off-piste rescue in a couloir in the Val Veny
Italian rescue services were called into action early yesterday afternoon after an avalanche on the Val Veny side of the Courmayeur ski area.
According to reports around 18 freeride skiers were skiing off-piste in the Couloir des Espagnoles near the Plan de la Gabba lift when the avalanche struck at around 1pm.
Three skiers, a Belgian, a German and an Italian sadly lost their lives. Some skiers were saved thanks to their airbags. Five other people were dug out of the snow and taken to hospital in Aosta.
Witnesses said the area looked like a 'battle scene' with people trying to dig out those affected, with rescue helicopters flying above to aid the search.
A second avalanche also occurred in the Aosta valley later in the afternoon at Al Colle San Carlo near La Thuile, but thankfully noone was hurt.
Since recent heavy snow fall in the last week, the avalanche risk has increased to 3/5 which means there is considerable risk. At the moment this rating applies to all aspects of the mountain in the ChamonixMont Blanc and Haute Savoie area.
