An avalanche swept down a closed slope near the Les Deux Alpes ski resort today, killing two students (one that was just 14) that were part of a school trip. A Ukrainian skier was also killed in the slide.
According to CNN, a teacher with the student group that included 19 young people, was also caught and transferred to a French hospital but survived. All the other young skiers were accounted for.
In a statement released by the French Interior Ministry, around 80 people were part of the rescue mission that included military, police and mountain rescue teams with dogs. The search continues for one missing skier.
It is not immediately clear if the victims ducked a rope or how, exactly, they accessed the closed slope but the resort reported 13 inches of fresh snow and an above-average avalanche risk, hence the closure.
Les Duex Alpes in Isere is a center for mountain sports culture. The resort features a world-renowned bike park and was part of the Crankworx World Tour this summer, a freeride mountain bike event featuring the sport’s most intense disciplines.
The slope had apparently been closed by mountain officials all season.
