Briton, 27, dies in avalanche as heavy snow covers Alpine resorts
He was swept away by fifteen metres of snow as he stood by side of road
Heightened warnings will remain in place until at least 16:00 today
Credit: beatrice preve / Alamy Stock Photo
Update April 18 15:15: A previous version of this article said a person in the Val-Thorens resort was in critical condition in Grenoble hospital after being caught in an avalanche on Thursday. Local authorities announced today that the victim, a 27-year old Briton, has died from his injuries. Our article has been updated to reflect this new information.
Heightened avalanche warnings remain in place in the Alps after up to two metres of snow fell in some parts.
The Savoie department is on a heightened orange-level warning for avalanches – the second highest possible – until 16:00, although it may be prolonged by state forecaster Météo France depending on conditions.
Requests for residents and tourists to remain inside have not been repeated, however caution is advised and the mayor of Tignes – which ordered people to be indoors by 20:00 yesterday – said conditions ‘are exceptional’ because of the snowfall.
However the mayor said ‘life can return to normal’ after yesterday’s extraordinary measures.
Activities in several ski resorts remain off-limits but are opening progressively throughout the day in some areas such as Val-Thorens.
Authorities are strongly advising people not to ski off-piste or hike outside of designated areas due to the avalanche risks.
Briton dies in avalanche, death in Italy
French authorities confirmed the death of a 27-year old Briton, who was caught in an avalanche at the Val-Thorens resort. He was taken to Grenoble in critical condition on Thursday (April 17), and was pronounced dead today.
He was standing by the side of a road when he was hit by an avalanche and swept underneath 15 metres of snow. An eyewitness who saw the incident called the emergency services who sent a patrol to find the man, who was discovered in a critical condition.
Italian authorities have also confirmed that an elderly man in Piedmont has died after his property in Piedmont was flooded by heavy rain that fell alongside the snow.
Two other people in the area – believed to be a father and son – are reported missing.
Homes without electricity, travel impacted
Several thousand homes experienced powercuts yesterday due to the snowfall. Energy grid operator Enedis reported around 1,000 still face issues this morning with the majority located in the Savoie department.
Power is expected to be restored to the remaining households throughout the day, said Enedis. If you are facing an issue, you should contact the operator by calling 09 726 750 + XX (the number of your department, for example 73 for Savoie).
Rail travel in the area is severely disrupted due to both snowfall and fallen trees, particularly between Modane and St Jean de Maurienne. Services between the latter and Chambéry are also impacted, with issues on the network set to last all day.
Road traffic is less impacted, however drivers should take caution and some smaller roads and tunnels in the mountains may be blocked due to snowfall and fallen trees.
The Mont Blanc tunnel is closed to HGVs.
