French Alps avalanche kills four hikers, injures others

An avalanche in the French Alps killed at least four hikers and injured others Sunday, France’s interior minister confirmed. 

The horror unfolded at the Armancette glacier near Mont Blanc in the southeast of France around noon, according to reports. 

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted that the report of casualties was “provisional.” 

“Thank you for their action. Thoughts for the victims and their loved ones,” Darmanin tweeted. 

Before deaths were reported the nearby ski resort of Contamines-Montjoie posted a video on Twitter showing a wall of snow pummeling down the Dômes de Miage. The resort warned skiers to exercise caution when skiing away from prepared ski runs.   

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The death and injury toll were likely to rise later Sunday as more victims are found. It was also possible that the area could see an additional avalanche. 

French President Emmanuel Macron said a rescue team had been mobilized to find additional victims. 

Sunday’s avalanche comes less than a month after a person was killed in an avalanche near Colorado’s Aspen Highlands Ski Area. The avalanche took place in the Maroon Bowl area northwest of Highland Park, outside the ski boundary of Aspen Highlands.