Brit skier killed after 'smashing into another tourist' on black slope
Share:
A British skier has died after a horror collision with a man on a black slope in France. The woman, a 65-year-old tourist, was pronounced dead at the scene after losing control of her skis and smashing into the fellow Brit at France's Les Arcs ski resort. She is believed to have been going down the steep slope on the Aiguille Rouge when she collided into the 35-year-old man, who was stood still at the time and suffered a broken leg, French news outlet Le Dauphine reports.
The man was quickly rushed to a nearby hospital. Investigations into the lead up of the fatal smash are ongoing, with officers yet to determine the woman's exact cause of death. Both victims were reportedly wearing helmets while tackling the treacherous mountain.
Designed for expert skiers, black slopes are considered the most difficult to tackle due to their steep and challenging drops. The tragedy comes two days after an avalanche hit a group of five skiers in Italy's northern Piedmont region, killing three of them, according to rescuers on the mountain.
The avalanche hit at about midday on Sunday on the eastern face of Punta Valgrande, a summit on the border between Italy and Switzerland. Two survived and were airlifted hospital, while three others were dragged downhill for several hundred metres, suffering fatal injuries.
An alert had been issued in the area above 6,900ft (2,100 metres), warning of "considerable danger of avalanches". Witnesses claimed they saw the avalanche violently smashing down the mountain, sweeping people off the slope. The area of the Lepontine Alps where the avalanche occurred has a third-degree avalanche risk level, indicating a high risk of winter avalanches.
