Ukrainian, French teen killed in avalanche

At least one child was killed and several others missing after an avalanche hit a school group in the French Alps Wednesday, police said.

According to the Associated Press, the group was made up of 10 high school students and a teacher. Rescue helicopters also rushed to the scene.

French media said that two of the people who died in the accident were young teenagers travelling with a school group.

More than 60 people were part of the rescue effort, including police and dog search and rescue teams. The group had been on a black run closed to the public, according to The Guardian.

A 14-year-old, a 16-year-old and an adult skier from the Ukraine were killed. The office of the president, Francois Hollande, said three people were seriously injured.

“Eric Arnol, a ski guide at Les Deux Alpes, told BFMTV that the work to find those dead or buried continued even after the sun set in the mountainous region”.

Three of the injured were found in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. Officials say the teacher is alive and has been taken to a hospital in Grenoble.

‘The fresh snow cover is not stable and too wet because of the high temperatures – slope conditions are variable across the ski area because of strong winds.

Heavy snowfall in recent days had increased the risk of avalanches, said the regional government.

Witnesses told the France Bleu radio station that the avalanche was likely to have been triggered by groups skiing through the area.

The skiing season got off to a slow start in France as unseasonably warm temperatures left slopes bare over the festive season with skiers and snowboarders having to make do with artificial snow.

So far this year, four people have lost their lives in avalanches in the French Alps.