Two French school children and a Ukranian have been killed in an avalanche that occurred yesterday in the Les Deux Alpes resort in France.
A further two children and their teacher were also seriously injured in the incident. When found by rescuers, the children were reported to be in cardiac arrest, and the teacher was unconscious.
Because of the tireless work of rescuers and the authorities, all members of the group have now been accounted for.
Reports suggest that, when the avalanche struck, the group, as well as the Ukranian, were skiing on a black run called The Bellecombe that had been closed by the mountain safety team, due to the increased avalanche danger present in the area.
The region saw heavy snowfall earlier this week, following a long period where very little had fallen. When a high quantity of fresh snow creates a layer on top of an older, more compact layer, it makes the snowpack very unstable. This instability leads to a significantly increased risk of avalanche.
