French Alps avalanche: 5 killed at Armancette glacier
Five people have died and one remains missing following an avalanche in the French Alps. The incident occurred at the Armancette glacier near Mont Blanc in south-eastern France on Sunday, and it has since been confirmed that the deceased include two local tour guides. Others were injured and have been taken to a hospital.
The avalanche was triggered by a slab of snow that detached from the top of the mountain. Mountain rescue teams, aided by search and rescue dogs, worked all day to locate those affected, and the search for the missing person is set to continue. The avalanche occurred while the group was backcountry skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas.
Prior to the incident, a nearby ski resort, Les Contamines-Montjoie, posted a video on social media showing a large wall of snow moving down from the Dômes de Miage. It is unclear whether the video shows the avalanche in which the people died.
Officials have warned that another avalanche cannot be ruled out. The same glacier was the site of an avalanche in 2014 that claimed the lives of two experienced mountaineers.
