Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 17, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 17, 2026
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Two avalanches in the French Alps killed three and injured four. Rescue efforts were challenged by ongoing avalanche risks and severe weather conditions.
PARIS, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Two separate avalanches in the French Alps killed three people and left four wounded, local authorities and French media said on Tuesday.
Around midday, a large slide, about 300 metres wide, swept across a road and a footpath in the town of Valloire, southeast France, the prefecture of Savoie said in a statement.
Rescue teams, including mountain police officers, firefighters, dog units and army specialists, were deployed for more than four hours before operations were halted in the late afternoon due to the risk of further avalanches, the prefecture added.
Two of the wounded were in serious condition and were evacuated by helicopter to nearby hospitals, it said.
French broadcaster BFMTV also reported, citing the prosecutor in the town of Gap, that two skiers had died earlier in an off‑piste avalanche in La Grave in the neighbouring Hautes‑Alpes region.
Weather forecaster Meteo France said Savoie remained on orange avalanche alert for Tuesday, but flagged an improvement in the coming days.
The deaths come as France grapples with heavy snowfall in the Alps and flooding in several western regions after days of intense rain.
Last Friday, three skiers died after being swept away in an avalanche in the upmarket French Alpine ski resort of Val d'Isere.
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, which can be triggered by various factors such as weather conditions, human activity, or natural events.
A rescue operation involves coordinated efforts to save individuals in distress, often requiring specialized teams and equipment, especially in hazardous environments like mountains.
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