Two British skiers have died after an avalanche swept through an off-piste area of a French ski resort.
The pair are reportedly a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son.
Another skier, reportedly an instructor, has been left injured and a hiker was killed in a separate area after the avalanche on Mont Blanc.
An British government spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of two British people who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The avalanche hurtled through an off-piste section of the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains ski resort on Thursday, according to the administration for the Haute-Savoie region.
A man and a woman were found dead, and another person discovered injured, by mountain rescuers while five other people were taken to safety.
The cause of the avalanche is being investigated.
A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais
The Associated Press (AP) reported that Saint-Gervais mayor Jean-Marc Peillex called weather conditions too unstable for such outings.
He told BFM television: “It rained, it snowed, it was warm. There are enough marked paths to ski on.
“It’s terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais.”
A 31-year-old hiker was found dead after falling on the slope of the Ecrins mountain range, AP reported.
According to the news agency, local broadcaster France-Bleu said rescuers explained the hiker had stepped away from hiking paths to look at mountain goats.
