Schoolchildren Killed In French Alps Avalanche

Two children are dead following a massive avalanche in the French Alps, and now, attention is turning to the teacher who allegedly led the group of students into danger.

The avalanche in the Deux Alpes ski resort in France, about 50 kilometres from the Italian border, has also left up to 20 missing and others seriously injured.

The children were part of a group of 19 pupils and three adult staff from the Lycee Saint-Exupery school in Lyon undertaking a week’s ski course.

They have been taken to hospital in Grenoble by an emergency rescue helicopter. “The question is, why were they skiing on a closed piste?”

The incident took place near the Bellecombes slope in the Deux Alpes, south west of Grenoble.

“This is a closed slope, closed because of the danger there after the first snowfall of the year”, he said.

However, large quantities of snow have fallen on the French Alps in recent days, raising the risk of avalanches, the regional government said (in French). However, authorities said the avalanche risks in the area were high Wednesday. “The fresh snow didn’t stick enough”.

Letang added that the group should have been “properly equipped” with a probe, a shovel and an avalanche transceiver for finding people or equipment buried under snow.

A ski school goes down a slope at Les Deux Alpes in the French Alps.

Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem promised an investigation would “throw all light” on the circumstances of the tragedy.

A BBC producer, Sally Graham, said she was skiing down one piste when she witnessed the rescue operation on what she thought was a black advanced run that had been closed. “There is a good chance that it was the skiers themselves that triggered the avalanche”.