A devastating avalanche claimed the lives of a mother, her 7-year-old daughter and another 7-year-old girl in the Italian glacier ski resort of Val Senales yesterday. A father and his 11-year-old child were airlifted to hospital with minor injuries.
The two German families had been skiing on the valley run of the Val Senales glacier in South Tyrol when a 150-metre wide, 500m-long avalanche came down across the piste. Despite the efforts of 70 rescue workers and three helicopters, the mother and one of the girls were dead upon discovery. The victim's daughter was initially revived but passed away shortly after being airlifted to hospital.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Thomas Konstantin Stecher, director of the Val Senales Glacier Cable Car Company, said that the valley run had only been opened because there was believed to be no risk of danger. He said it was possible the avalanche could have been triggered by skiers or snowboarders riding off-piste.
This is not the only avalanche to have hit the Alps this week, with a few lucky escapes over Christmas and several deaths in Italy this week. Posted avalanche risk has hovered around 3/5, which means the snow is only moderately to weakly bonded on slopes of a certain steepness, and avalanches can be triggered by skiers or even occur naturally. We urge everyone to stay on-piste where possible, and to brush up on your avalanche safety skills if planning to venture off-piste. This is important not only for your own safety but for the safety of everyone below you!
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
