An avalanche off the trail for sportsmen killed two skiers and injured another this Sunday, 15, on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif, near the border between France and Switzerland, authorities said.
At least three skiers were caught in the avalanche this Sunday morning on Couloir Vesses, a freeride route (in which skiers slide off snow trails, avoiding natural obstacles). It’s a well-known route in Courmayeur, in the upper Val Veny, according to Alpine Rescue Italy.
One of the victims was taken to hospital in serious condition but later died, the agency said. Fifteen rescuers, three canine units and two helicopters participated in the search and rescue efforts.
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Courmayeur, a town of about 2,900 people, is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of Milan, one of the venues for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Another person was partially buried by an avalanche in Trentino, but was rescued by his companions, authorities reported on Sunday.
A record 13 off-piste skiers, climbers and hikers died in Italian mountains during the week ending February 8, Alpine Rescue said last Monday, including 10 in avalanches triggered by an exceptionally unstable snowpack.
Fresh snow during recent storms and windswept snow ridges over weak inner layers have created especially risky conditions along the entire alpine crescent that borders France, Switzerland and Austria, Alpine Rescue said.
