French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on Sunday that four people have died and nine others have been injured in an avalanche in the French Alps. Darmanin wrote on his Twitter account: "The avalanche occurred at noon on the Armancette glacier."
"An avalanche occurred in the middle of the day at the Armancette glacier in the Alps. The preliminary toll indicates 4 deaths and several injuries. Rescue efforts are still ongoing. Thank you for their work. Thoughts for the victims and their families." — Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 9, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his condolences on Twitter: "The rescue services continue to search for more victims and I express my solidarity with the victims and their families."
"At the Armancette glacier in the Alps, an avalanche has caused casualties. We are thinking of them and their families. Our rescue teams are mobilized to find those still trapped in the snow. Our thoughts are with them as well." — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 9, 2023
Local authorities spokesman in Haute-Savoie, Emmanuel Coquand, stated: "The avalanche victims were skiing," adding that their identities have not yet been confirmed. He noted that the avalanche was large, extending over a kilometer and 500 meters wide at an altitude of 3,500 meters.
