ALBAWABA - Four people died and several others have been injured in an avalanche in the French Alps.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Sunday that at least four people were killed, and others were injured, in an avalanche that occurred in the middle of the day on the Armancette Glacier.
قتلى ومصابون في انهيار جليدي بفرنسا.. وماكرون يعلقhttps://t.co/PXRkMdESzu
— سكاي نيوز عربية (@skynewsarabia) April 9, 2023
The minister did not reveal the final toll of the injuries yet. Also, he, did not disclose the identities of the victims.
Une avalanche s’est produite en milieu de journée au glacier d’Armancette, dans les Alpes. Le bilan provisoire fait état de 4 personnes décédées et plusieurs blessés. Les secours sont toujours à l’œuvre. Merci pour leur action. Pensées pour les victimes et leurs proches.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 9, 2023
The avalanche of the Armancette Glacier occurred in Contamines-Montjoie, Haute-Savoie, about 30 kilometers southwest of Chamonix. The Alps are a key site for Easter weekend in France.
French media outlets determined the size of the avalanche at a length of 1,000 meters and a width of 100 meters. Sources suggested that the accident occurred when a piece of snow broke off from the top of the mountain.
Rescuers are continuing to search for survivors, while the relevant authorities have sent two helicopters to assist in the search.
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed, in a tweet, his sympathy for the victims and their families.
Au glacier d’Armancette dans les Alpes, une avalanche a fait des victimes. Nous pensons à elles, ainsi qu’à leurs familles. Pour retrouver les personnes encore bloquées dans la neige, nos forces de secours sont mobilisées. Nos pensées les accompagnent, elles aussi.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 9, 2023
He wrote in the tweet, which he published in French and ALBAWABA translated into English, "At the Armancette Glacier in the Alps, an avalanche caused casualties. We are thinking of them and their families. To find people still stuck in the snow, our rescue forces are mobilized. Our thoughts accompany them, too."
