A British man has been swept 50ft to his death in an avalanche at the top of a popular ski resort in France following a huge snow storm.
The 27-year-old, who has not yet been named, was found buried under the snow at the entrance to Val Thorens in the French Alps.
Emergency services took him to Grenoble Hospital where he was declared dead on Friday morning.
A day earlier, the area was hit by a series of avalanches, forcing authorities to close the slopes and warn residents to stay inside secure buildings.
According to the France Bleu radio network, the Briton was staying with friends at the UCPA centre in Val Thorens.
Local media said there was only one person injured in the avalanche and the victim suffered a cardiac arrest after being buried under snow.
A rescue helicopter had been deployed to transport him to hospital but it was unable to reach him due to poor weather conditions.
The Albertville prosecutor said in a statement: “On April 17, 2025, an avalanche broke out shortly after 10am at the entrance to Val Thorens.
“A British man, who was lying at the side of the road, was buried and swept about 15m (49ft) below.”
A Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Ludovic Trautmann, director of the Savoie prefecture, added: “Four landslides have been reported in Les Menuires and Val Thorens - two of which reached the town centre.
“Given the conditions in the coming days, we are calling for the utmost vigilance.
“The buried person was affected by the landslide at the bottom of the resort.“
At 2,300m (7,500ft), Val Thorens is the highest in Europe and encircled by six glaciers.
The altitude means guaranteed snow cover from November to May, so the season goes on much later than in many areas.
Avalanches take place when an unstable mass of snow breaks away from a slope. It is normally caused by a large snowstorm or strong gusts of wind that suddenly change direction.
