Two Belgian skiers killed in avalanche in southern Switzerland
Two Belgian skiers were killed by an avalanche on Friday near Airolo, a municipality in southern Switzerland. The police of the Swiss canton of Ticino announced the deaths in a statement on Saturday. The accident had already been reported on Friday, but the identities of the victims were only released later.
The victims were a 35-year-old Belgian man living in Belgium and a 30-year-old Belgian man residing in Germany. According to Swiss authorities, both were highly experienced ski tourers who had carefully selected their route.
The avalanche struck shortly before 2 p.m. between Pizzo Centrale and Pizzo Prevat. Emergency services reached the scene but were only able to confirm the deaths of the two men. A third skier who was buried by the avalanche escaped unharmed.
Avalanche danger in the Alps is currently high following heavy snowfall in recent days, particularly in France and across much of Switzerland. The French ski resort La Plagne closed entirely on Thursday due to the risk, an exceptional measure that has occurred only twice in the past 25 years.
According to Italy's rescue services, fresh snow accumulating on older, unstable layers significantly increases the risk of avalanches, which can be triggered even by a single skier.
More than twenty skiers have died in avalanches across the Alps this year, including in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland.
A mountain rescue team in France. PHOTO © JEFF PACHOUD / AFP
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