Avalanche kills 5 soldiers during French Alps training

PARIS – An avalanche in the French Alps swept away a military unit training in the backcountry, killing five soldiers and injuring several others Monday, officials said.

The Savoie prefecture confirmed the deaths, and said 11 people out of a group of about 50 were struck by the avalanche. It said the soldiers were training off-piste in Valfrejus in the Savoie region.

Jean-Claude Raffin, mayor of Modane, the nearest town, said the soldiers were out for an all-day backcountry skiing session when the avalanche hit. The prefecture said six people were injured, two of them seriously.

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The unit from the southeast of France was skiing at an altitude of around 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) when the avalanche struck around 2 p.m. Julien Aubert, a lawmaker from the Vaucluse region where the unit is based, told BFM television the unit was a mixture of veterans and new soldiers specialized in harsh conditions.

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Julien Noel, director of the ski area, said the location where the avalanche hit is well-known for backcountry skiing and was not known as particularly dangerous. He said the slopes were closed after the avalanche Monday, for safety.

The deadly avalanche comes just days after a school group also skiing off-piste in the Alps was swept away, killing three people, including two students.

The avalanche risk has been high in the region, where fresh snow has fallen in recent days.