Published on : Thursday, February 21, 2019
The Nouvelliste, a local newspaper, quoted the commune’s president Nicolas Feraud as saying that 10 to 12 people were believed to be trapped. The paper said the avalanche covered some 300-400 meters of a piste.
The avalanche, which occurred in mid-afternoon, came after a week of warmer temperatures began melting heavy snow in the region.
In a separate statement, the Crans-Montana ski lift company said a ski patroller had set off the alarm at 1323 GMT and that “the circumstances of the incident are not yet known”.
Philippe Magistretti, president of the ski lift company, told Reuters by telephone from the resort, which is scheduled to host two women’s races this weekend: “About 100 rescue workers are on the site. We also have people from the army who were here ahead of the World Cup.”
The avalanche coincided with school holidays in some cantons, including Geneva, as well as overseas. Britain’s Blackheath High School tweeted that all its students on a ski trip in the area were safe and well.