Avalanche strikes in the Alps

On Sunday afternoon, 12 January, a tragedy occurred in the Italian part of the Lepontine Alps: an avalanche swept down, killing three skiers. Euronews reports the information.

Rescue and aftermath

Two people located in the disaster zone were rescued and promptly transported to hospital for medical treatment.

Location of the incident

The avalanche occurred in the area of the Traversella settlement, situated in the Italian region of Piedmont. The deceased skiers were carried several hundred metres down the slope at an altitude of over 2,800 metres.

Situation description

A warning of "considerable avalanche danger" with a threat level of 3 out of 5 had been issued for the zone above 2,100 metres. Preliminary data suggests that the group of skiers used crampons for the ascent and then descended on skis, which may have caused the tragedy.