Two Austrian ski tourers, aged in their twenties, and an Italian, have been killed and another is in a serious but stable condition following an avalanche in the French Ecrins mountain range at 15h00

Five people have been killed in a series of avalanche incidents across the European Alps over the weekend following heavy snowfall over Italy and parts of Switzerland and France.

A 62 year old man from the Grenoble area has been killed today by an avalanche in a west facing bowl under the summit of the Charmant Som (1867 meters) mountain in the Chartreuse mountain range.

A ski tourer has been killed following an avalanche in the Combe de la Mouche close to the town of La Mure in the Isere department.

A complicated and extensive search and rescue operation for a couple of missing snowshoers above the commune of Laus near Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes has recovered the bodies of the victims close to

25 avalanche victims so far this season in France. 11 in the Hautes-Alpes alone.

A ski instructor from la Plagne has triggered a large and deep avalanche in the Canadiens couloir on the North Face of the Bellecôte above the ski resort.

The body of a 30 year old season worker has been found by pisteurs at Val Thorens buried at the bottom of avalanche debris.

Five off piste skiers have been caught by an avalanche in the ski resort of Mourits in the Haute-Garonne department. The alert was given around 14h00.

A 68 year old ski instructor based in Aussois in the Maurienne area has been killed by an avalanche on Saturday while collecting data for the electricity supply network: ERDF.