Three skiers, including two Britons and a French national, have been killed in an avalanche in the French Alps. The incident occurred in Val d’Isère, a popular off-piste skiing area in south-east France. The two British victims were part of a group of skiers accompanied by a professional instructor, while a French national who was reportedly skiing alone was also killed in the incident. Another British person sustained minor injuries from the same avalanche.

The tragedy followed a rare "red alert" for avalanche risk issued by France’s national weather service for the south-eastern Savoie region, a danger level only issued twice before in 25 years. This warning, prompted by Storm Nils which dumped 60-100 centimetres of fresh snow, led to the closure of all or part of several ski resorts. Despite the red alert being lifted the following day, the risk level remained high across the Alps due to "very unstable snow cover," especially above 1,800 to 2,000 metres altitude, with fresh snow accumulating on older, unstable layers.

Emergency services responded swiftly to the Val d'Isère avalanche, which swept away six skiers. All victims were equipped with avalanche safety gear, including transceivers. The ski instructor accompanying the British group avoided injury and tested negative for alcohol and drugs, according to Albertville prosecutor Benoît Bachelet. The Albertville public prosecutor’s office has launched a manslaughter investigation, which will be carried out by CRS Alpes mountain rescue police. The exact cause of the avalanche remains unclear.

This incident is part of a series of fatal avalanches across the Alps this season. In the French Alps alone, additional deaths were reported recently: two skiers were killed on Monday near Saint-Agnes and Montgenevre, following another two fatalities in a separate slide near Saint-Veran on Saturday. Last month, a British man in his 50s was also killed while off-piste skiing at the La Plagne resort. He was not equipped with an avalanche transceiver and was not with a professional instructor, necessitating a large-scale rescue operation involving over 50 people.

The Italian Alps have also seen a tragic toll, with avalanches claiming the lives of 11 people in the space of just seven days recently, due to exceptionally unstable snow conditions. Among the victims was a 70-year-old hiker found dead in the Veneto region. Italy’s rescue service has warned of widespread avalanche risk across most of the Alpine range. So far this season, at least 20 skiers have died in avalanches across the French, Swiss, Italian, and Austrian Alps, with reports indicating at least 17 deaths on European slopes between December and January.