A 41 year old man from Lille was hit by an avalanche in the ski resort of Vars in the Hautes-Alpes this morning. The slide occurred on the Vallon blue. The man was partially buried by the debris.
The incident happened around 10h30 at 2300m altitude. The starting point was about 30 meters above the piste under the Peyrol ridge. The slide measured 40 meters wide and ran for 200 meters. The skier suffered leg and chest injuries and was taken to Briançon by helicopter.
A police inquiry is in progress which will establish if the run was officially open (yes according to the resort) and if the avalanche control plan (PIDA) had been followed for the sector. A Russian woman was killed by an avalanche that crossed an open ski run at les Arcs on the 29th of March this year.