Fatal avalanches hit European mountains over weekend

Over the weekend, avalanches in multiple European mountain regions claimed several lives.

In Poland’s Tatra Mountains, a tourist lost his life on the high-altitude Orla Perć route. Authorities reported that the man, who was properly equipped, last made contact around 2 p.m. local time on February 14, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

A team of 59 rescuers and three search dogs was dispatched, and the tourist’s body was recovered approximately an hour later. It was subsequently brought down to the resort town of Zakopane.

Meanwhile, in the Italian Alps, an avalanche in the Val Venet valley near Courmayeur buried three off-piste skiers. Using avalanche transceivers, rescuers located the victims beneath a 1.5-meter layer of snow. All three — French nationals aged 29, 31, and 35 from Chamonix — died: one shortly after being extracted, another following hospitalisation, and the third on the morning of February 16.

On the same day, another avalanche struck the Valchiavenna valley near the Swiss border, burying a group of four friends riding snowmobiles. Rescuers were able to save three of them, while the search continues for the fourth person.

Authorities across the region have reiterated the importance of avalanche safety and warned travelers to exercise caution in mountainous areas during winter.

By Sabina Mammadli