Avalanche News - Jan 1, 2024
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Police hunt for skiers who may have started fatal avalanche in France
(This is a follow-up to a story from the last email)
Police have launched a manslaughter hunt for two cross-country skiers who may have started an avalanche which killed a mother and her son. Today it was revealed that "two cross-country skiers were upslope" and "could have caused the avalanche", said Karline Bouisset, the prosecutor in Bonneville, near Grenoble. Ms Bouisset has opened a criminal enquiry into 'manslaughter' while judicial police collect evidence.
She said the British party knew the ski area well, and that the risk at the time was just moderate – level 2 out of 5 on the European Avalanche Danger Scale. Guy Le Nevé, deputy commander of the mountain search team in Chamonix, said: 'This is an area reserved for very good skiers. 'This is a group who had known the instructor very well for many years and who regularly came to ski in the area.'
He told MailOnline: 'We believe the avalanche was caused by two cross country skiers above the group. An avalanche expert has visited the scene and will provide a report for the prosecutor but it will take a few weeks. Initially it was reported that the instructor had a locator beacon but that is incorrect, neither he nor the family involved were wearing one. Two other people were also caught up in the avalanche further up and it was one of them who was wearing the locator. That's how we found them first and the whole search and rescue operation lasted until 8pm at night."
None of those involved have yet been named, but it was confirmed that the instructor was highly qualified and worked for the ESI International Ski School. A source in nearby Megeve where the instructor, named only as Arnaud, is based said: 'The family are regulars and always use Arnaud. He's been guiding and instructing for years and is one of the best.
More ... (Daily Mail)
Turkey Avalanche Buries Cars Under 10 Feet Of Snow
An intense avalanche in Van, Turkey buried two vehicles under deep snow. The road was already closed and the vehicles had been abandoned, fortunately.
More ... (Video - Weather.com)
25 years on, Kangiqsualujjuaq, Que., reflects on school avalanche
(Original news and reports on this incident can be found in our database - it really does go back that far.)
Maggie Emudluk was celebrating New Years on Jan. 1, 1999, with her family in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Que., when the unthinkable happened. Emudluk and 400 to 500 people were gathered in the Satuumavik School gym around 1:30 a.m., square dancing to accordion music and playing traditional games to ring in the new year. That's when an avalanche started to pummel down the mountain, just 40 metres from the school. It hit the building, destroying most of the structure where the community gathered inside. Nine residents, including five children younger than eight, died in the avalanche. Another 25 people were injured and were medevac'd to Kuujjuaq and Montreal.
More ... (The Weather Network)
