In southern Switzerland, an avalanche buried four people off the slopes of Revelberg, near the ski resort of Zermatt, at around 2pm yesterday. Valais canton police said three people were killed and another was injured.
About 45 rescue workers responded to search for the missing people. The search has now stopped, and it is unclear whether there are still people buried under the snow.
Since Friday, up to 120 cm of snow has fallen in some places. Despite the use of police dogs and helicopters, the rescue operation was very difficult. It appears that the skiers did not have equipment that could send a distress signal with coordinates in case of danger.
Due to heavy snowfall and strong winds, avalanche warnings have already been issued in the southern Alps. “We can expect large to very large avalanches,” the SLF Snow and Avalanche Research Institute said.
Local authorities are finding it difficult to understand why people continue to venture off the slopes. At least seventeen people have already died in Switzerland this ski season.
These are photos of the avalanche near Zermatt on Easter Monday:
