Four dead in Swiss avanlaches
At least four people died in avalanches in Valais Canton on Sunday.
At least four people died in avalanches in Valais Canton on Sunday, including a mountain guide and two of his clients.
The fourth death was that of a free skier who was skiing off the prepared slope, according to the Swiss news agency sda. The tour guide was leading six clients on a ski tour in Val de'Herens when the group was hit by an avalanche as they descended Pointe de Masserey, according to canton police.
The guide and three clients were buried and were rescued alive. But the guide and two others died in the early evening. The remaining survivor was in critical
condition, police said. Two other avalanches occurred in the morning hours in the region around Nendaz. One of them injured a woman, who was rescued.
In the second avalanche, a 34-year-old "freerider" - as skiers who break trails off the groomed slopes are called - died despite his speedy rescue. All of the avalanches on Sunday were set off by skiers who left the groomed slopes, sdareported. Since Christmas, 11 people have died in avalanches in the
Swiss alps, sda reported.
-Sapa