Five climbers dead in French Alps avalanche in Pelvoux

The avalanche occurred in the Massif des Ecrins on the slopes of the mountain Dome des neiges des Ecrins around midday.

“Five people are known to have died, one was injured and two more are missing”.

Five bodies are understood to have already been found, and the hunt goes on for the rest of the missing climbers.

It swept away eight people, among whom were foreign climbers, police said, adding they did not yet know their nationalities.

“One person might be fine or slightly injured”, Xinhua news agency quoted Besnard as saying.

Two helicopters as well as search dogs have been dispatched to aid in the rescue effort, Mr Besnard said.

The mountain’s summit stands at 4,015 metres and it is popular with climbers due to the relative ease of the ascent, compared to other peaks in the area.

Climbers and skiers are sporadically caught in avalanches in the popular Alps, particularly during the winter season, but this is the deadliest accident so far this year.