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Four dead in horror avalanche while skiing in ‘Hell Valley’ mountains as French police launch criminal probe
Emergency crews fear the group may have sparked the snowslide with their off-piste activity
FOUR skiers have been killed after getting caught in an avalanche in France.
Cops have launched a criminal probe after a group of nine people were buried by a huge snowslide in an area known as Val d'Enfer - Hell Valley.
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Two of the skiers, who were not injured, managed to raise the alarm - sparking a search and rescue operation on Sunday afternoon.
Three of the group were found hurt under 13ft of snow after activating their avalanche locator beacons.
But the remaining four were later found dead by rescue crews.
Among those killed was renowned mountain guide David Vigouroux, 50, who was leading the climb.
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The group were ski mountaineering when the avalanche came crashing down the summit.
Ski mountaineering involves trekking up summits before skiing from the top.
Sacha Espinasse, one of the rescuers involved, said: ‘It's tragic. People think we work on a small mountain, but you shouldn't think like that, because very serious accidents can happen very quickly.’
All those involved were linked to the Vichy Alpine Club, and were all experienced climbers.
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Police in Mont-Dore, central France, have now launched an investigation.
Sébastien Dubourg, the mayor of Mont-Dore, said: "We are really stunned.
"This is the worst tragedy of its kind for 50 years."
He said the three survivors were transferred to the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, where one was kept under observation with a moderate head trauma.
The victims are linked by a safety rope when they were buried by the avalanche, according to a French Interior Ministry official.
Emergency service crews fear members of the group could have caused the snowslide with the off-piste activity.
Judith Husson, the deputy state representative of the French Interior Ministry, said: "Faced with this tragedy, we can only ask for people to be careful in the mountains."
Christophe Boivin, director of the nearby Mont-Dore ski resort, described the Val d'Enfer as "quite a difficult valley".
He said dogs were used to search for the missing skiers.
Boivin added: "The rescue services were deployed quite quickly."
The valley has previously been branded dangerous by officials who have warned skiers to avoid it.
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In 2017, a police officer told La Montagne: "It is so steep that even without an avalanche it is dangerous.
"If a mountaineer loses their grip here, we find them in pieces at the bottom."
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