French Alps avalanche kills at least six and injures several

Two mountain guides are thought to be among the dead, while two people are missing

The aftermath of the avalanche near the Armancette glacier in the French Alps on April 9, 2023. Twitter @jpclement38

At least six people have died and nine were injured in an avalanche at the Armancette glacier near Mont Blanc in south-eastern France, the interior minister Gerald Darmanin has confirmed.

Among the dead are two mountain guides, according to the deputy mayor Elisabeth Mollard, while two others remain missing.

Several other injured people have been taken to hospital.

The identities of the victims have not been confirmed yet, but according to local authorities they are believed to have been backcountry skiing in the mountains.

The avalanche, which measured 1,000 metres long by 100 metres wide, was caused by a slab of snow detaching from the top of the mountain, according to Jean-Luc Mattel, an official of the nearby Contamines-Montjoie village.

Emergency responders deployed a helicopter and specialist mountain rescue dogs to the scene and are still combing the area for survivors.

Chamonix, the small town at the base of Mont Blanc, is a popular vacation spot during the French Easter weekend.

French president Emanuel Macron expressed sympathy for the victims and their families.

No avalanche warning had been issued by Meteo France, but a combination of windy and warm weather may have been behind the disaster, the prefecture for the Haute-Savoie department said, adding that a further avalanche could not be ruled out.

The news comes a day after Swiss authorities rescued a group of hikers from an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.

Last month, a British teenager died after being swept under an avalanche while on a ski tour in Switzerland.

Tens of people have died in avalanches in the past few years, mainly in France, Switzerland and Austria.