French Alps tragedy as six killed near Mont Blanc in avalanche

10 April 2023 , 11:23

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The avalanche struck at the Armancette glacier in the Haute Savoie region (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Six people have now been confirmed dead following a devastating avalanche in the Alps, French authorities say.

The disaster struck in the Haute Savoie region of the French Alps on Sunday, when an avalanche thundered down the Armancette glacier in Contamines-Montjoie, around 20 miles south west of Chamonix.

Two mountain guides were included in the death toll, authorities said on Monday.

The prosecutor's office in nearby Bonneville said the body of a sixth person has been found after searches resumed on Monday morning.

Six people have been confirmed dead in Sunday's disaster (AFP via Getty Images)

One person was also sent to the hospital with minor injuries following the avalanche, with eight other people found unharmed.

Horror as two skiers killed in terrifying avalanche that hit popular ski resort

Details and identities of the victims confirmed so far have yet to be released.

The local France-Bleu radio station put the size of the avalanche at 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) long and 100 meters (328 feet) wide.

National weather agency Meteo France had not issued a specific avalanche warning for Sunday, assessing the risk as "limited."

France's Haute Savoie is visited by nearly 38m each year to enjoy winter sports and the area's outstanding natural beauty, with the Easter break one of its busiest times.

Susie Beever