Avalanche kills 5 soldiers during French Alps training

An avalanche in the French Alps swept away a military unit on a training exercise, killing five soldiers and injuring several others Monday, officials said. The Savoie prefecture confirmed the deaths, and said 11 people out of a group of about 50 were struck by the avalanche. It said the soldiers were training off-piste in Valfrejus in the Savoie region. Jean-Claude Raffin, mayor of Modane, the nearest town, said the soldiers were out for an all-day backcountry skiing session when the avalanche hit.

We’re still trying to carry out the rescue and trying to count everyone in the area, to know if we still have people there who’ve been buried.

Major Herve Pujol, from the CRS rescue team

Julien Aubert, a lawmaker from the Vaucluse region where the unit is based, told BFM television the unit was a mixture of veterans and new soldiers specialized in harsh conditions. Julien Noel, director of the ski area, said the location where the avalanche hit is well-known for backcountry skiing and was not known as particularly dangerous. He said the slopes were closed after the avalanche Monday, for safety. The deadly avalanche comes just days after a school group also skiing off-piste in the Alps was swept away, killing three people, including two students.

Europe Alps avalanche