Four climbers including a renowned mountain guide have died and three others been injured during an avalanche in the Valley of Hell in central France.
The horrific accident claimed the life of Frenchman David Vigouroux, 50, on Sunday afternoon in the Auvergne region, at an altitude of 5,250ft.
Joël Mathurin, Prefect of the Puy-de-Dôme department, said the accident happened above the village of Mont-Dore, in an area known as the Val d’Enfer – the Valley of Hell.
‘Four people died and three were injured following the accident on Sunday afternoon,’ said Mr Mathurin.
‘Seven people were roped together in all, and four of them were buried by the avalanche, by up to four meters of snow, before the others were able to call the emergency services. The three survivors were treated for minor injuries.’
The horrific accident claimed the life of Frenchman David Vigouroux (pictured), 50, on Sunday afternoon in the Auvergne region, at an altitude of 5,250ft
Mr Mathurin confirmed that Mr Vigouroux, a hugely respected mountain guide who was leading the climb, was among the dead.
The avalanche occurred at around 1.30pm.
Around 50 rescue workers were sent to the scene, including 14 police officers, 21 firefighters and two dogs trained in finding avalanche victims, local media reported.
Sacha Espinasse, one of the rescuers involved, said: ‘It’s tragic. People think we work on a small mountain, but you shouldn’t think like that, because very serious accidents can happen very quickly.’
All those involved were linked to the Vichy Alpine Club, and were all experienced climbers.
Sébastien Dubourg, the mayor of Mont-Dore, said: ‘We are really stunned. This is the worst tragedy of its kind for 50 years.’
He said the three survivors were transferred to the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, where one was kept under observation with a moderate head trauma.
The area is a ‘very steep site where snow accumulates,’ the mayor added, according to French newspaper Liberation. ‘They were at the top and rolled down the whole slope. We found them at the bottom of the corridor.’
Mathurin said the group were roped up at the time, and that they ‘were buried’ by the sliding snow cover.
The prefecture said ‘several’ of the climbers had beacons which helped with the search, and that one woman was saved by an airbag.
‘Among the survivors, one person was saved by her airbag, another because she was wearing a detector,’ Judith Husson, sub-prefect of Thiers, said at a press conference.
‘Faced with this tragedy, we can only ask for caution in the mountains ,’ she added.
‘At Mont-Dore, during this ski season, it’s a tragedy that we don’t like to experience,’ Dubourg added. ‘Even the low altitude mountain is dangerous.’
There was up to 20 inches of snow in the area at the time, according to site Ski Info.
Clermont-Ferrand prosecutors have opened an investigation into the exact causes of the accident, working with judicial police.
The mountains of the Auvergne, many of which are of volcanic origin, are not as high as those in the Alps or Pyrenees, but are very remote, frequently covered in heavy snow, and are known to be a dangerous area.
Joël Mathurin, Prefect of the Puy-de-Dôme department, said the accident happened above the village of Mont-Dore (pictured), in an area known as the Val d’Enfer – the Valley of Hell
Local news said Vigouroux had turned 50 just two weeks ago, on February 11.
Born in 1974, he discovered climbing as a teenager, and later went on to became a high mountain guide in 2014 – training in Auvergne and around the world, including in Greenland and South America.
He was also the author of a book on the history of mountaineering in Auvergne.
The identities of the other three victims were not immediately reported.