Feb. 13 (UPI) — French search and rescue officials said at least four people died in an avalanche in southeastern France’s Tignes ski resort Monday.
French police said a wall of snow buried a group of up to nine people in an area away from the ski track. Police said the remaining five people who could be trapped may not have showed up for the ski session.
Police said the four people found dead were French. The ski resort said the avalanche could have been started by a group of skiers higher up the mountain.
The 1,300 foot-wide avalanche occurred at an altitude of nearly 7,000 feet on Monday during a busy time.
Search and rescue services deployed two helicopters as well as rescue dogs to help find missing the skiers. The avalanche warning level in Tignes was set at three out of five.
