A New Zealand woman, Carol Nash, is among half a dozen people killed in an avalanche in the French Alps.
French rescuers carry the body of one of victims of the avalanche. Photo: AFP
Media reports initially said all the victims were French, aged from 50 to 70, and were experienced skiers who belonged to a ski club.
Other club members reported them missing when they failed to return from an outing that started at the Ceillac ski station in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region.
In a statement to Radio New Zealand, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed that one of those who died is New Zealander Carol Nash.
The spokesperson said following reports of the avalanche, the New Zealand Embassy in Paris followed up with local French authorities who confirmed the death of Ms Nash.
A picture taken from Ceillac shows the Queyras mountain range where the six skiers died. Photo: AFP
An helicopter of the French Gendarmerie arrives in Ceillac transporting the body of one of the six avalanche victims. Photo: AFP
The Ministry was in contact with Ms Nash's family, who have requested privacy.
The area where the accident occurred has been put under a high avalanche alert and skiers have been warned to avoid it.
Deadly week for snow sports
The Hautes-Alpes police office said the party of six left on Saturday (local time) for a hike, known as ski touring, in the Queyras mountain range in the French Alps, AFP reported.
The bodies of three victims were found at the foot of the avalanche before sunrise on Sunday in a small valley at an altitude of 2500 metres, before bad weather forced a halt to rescue efforts.
A team of 18 rescue workers, backed by a helicopter and sniffer dogs, later discovered the rest of the missing team of hikers.
"The bodies of the other three victims were also found at the site of the avalanche," Captain Sarah Chelpi told AFP.
About 30 people die annually in avalanches in France, whose mountain ranges attract snow lovers from throughout the world.
The Association for Snow and Avalanche Studies said 11 people had already died since the start of the 2014/2015 winter season.
This week has been particularly deadly for snow sports.
Two skiers, aged 51 and 60, were found dead Thursday after being swept away in an avalanche in the Ecrins mountain range in the Alps.
On Friday, a 46-year-old woman died in an avalanche in the Savoie region in the Alps straddling the border with Italy, and a British skier fell to his death after losing a ski while descending Mont Blanc.
- RNZ/AFP
