Avalanche kills 4 climbers in French Alps

USPA News - Four French nationals were killed in the country`s Alps Tuesday afternoon when an avalanche buried them, local authorities said. The avalanche took place when four French climbers and their guide were climbing the 2,600-meter (8,530 feet) Goulotte des Enfers in France`s Hautes-Alpes department at around 3:30 p.m. local time, according to the Local.

The guide, who survived the avalanche although suffering injuries, quickly raised the alarm following the incident, which occurred near the village of Crevoux. Local authorities deployed a helicopter and a medical team on a search-and-rescue mission, but the four French climbers, reportedly from the western region of Brittany, were later found dead. Jean Yves Dusserre, the President of the General Council of the Hautes Alpes, described the incident as a "terrible tragedy," extending his support and sympathy to the victims` families. "Once again the mountains have proved to be unpredictable and brutal, right in the middle of our winter holidays," Dusserre was quoted as saying. "This incident reminds that our mountains can be beautiful but also cruel."