Three French freeride skiers have died after an avalanche struck the slopes of Mont Blanc near the Italian resort of Courmayeur.
According to Idman.Biz, citing The Independent, the victims were identified as 31-year-old Hugo Noville, 35-year-old Quentin Philippe and 29-year-old Alexis Rassa. The latter was pulled from the snow around 40 minutes after the slide and transported to a hospital in Turin in critical condition, but doctors were unable to save him.
Emergency services carried out a lengthy search operation in difficult weather conditions, working for several hours to locate and recover the skiers trapped beneath the snow.
Avalanches remain a significant risk in off-piste freeriding, particularly in alpine regions following heavy snowfall and unstable layers, and authorities regularly warn experienced riders not to underestimate rapidly changing mountain conditions.
