This is the third death in one week [National story]
08:24, 18 Feb 2026Updated 08:24, 18 Feb 2026
The weather has been a huge risk(Image: Getty Images)
A British national was among at least three people killed in two separate avalanches in the French Alps on Tuesday, as the winter death toll at the popular destination reaches 28.
The man, who was in his 30s, died alongside a Polish citizen while skiing off-piste near the resort town of La Grave. The pair were part of a five-person group that included a German and an Australian skier, both of whom escaped the incident without injury, according to the BBC.
The tragedy was compounded by a second avalanche in the neighbouring Valloire area, where several hikers were caught in the snow. Authorities confirmed that one person was killed in this second incident, while two others remain in a critical condition.
The deaths follow a particularly perilous week in the region, coming just days after two other Britons and a French national died on Friday.
On Tuesday, the French weather service had categorised the avalanche risk in La Grave as “high”—a four on a five-point scale—due to fresh snow and wind, while the risk in Valloire was at the maximum level of five. Local authorities have now launched investigations into the cause of death in both instances. Following the earlier fatalities on Friday, a Foreign Office spokesperson stated they are in contact with local authorities and “stand ready to offer consular assistance.”
This latest wave of accidents adds to a series of fatal incidents since the start of the year, including a weekend in January that saw six lives lost. With the season’s death toll continuing to rise, the scale of the danger facing skiers and hikers in the Alps remains under intense scrutiny.