Avalanches killed two skiers in the French Alps on Monday, following the deaths of two others in a separate slides at the weekend.
A 38-year-old man was killed in Saint-Agnes near Grenoble, local police said. A skier he was with was unharmed.
Another man, in his early 30s, was the victim of a ‘very large avalanche’ while skiing in an off-piste area near the village of Montgenevre, said local prosecutor Marion Lozac’hmeur.
Another who was with the victim was unharmed, she added.
The deaths come after an avalanche killed two off-piste ski tourers in the French Alps on Saturday, near Saint-Veran, known as the highest village in the French Alps.
The two victims were part of a group of four unguided skiers when an avalanche swept down the north side of the Tete de Longet mountain peak.
Avalanches have already claimed the lives of at least 20 skiers across the French, Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps so far this season.
Last month, a British man was reportedly among six skiers killed in avalanches in the French Alps.
The Englishman, believed to be in his 50s, was skiing off-piste at the La Plagne resort in south-eastern France, the resort said in a statement.
The man, in his early 30s, was the victim of a ‘very large avalanche’ while skiing in an off-piste area near the village of Montgenevre (File image)
Rescue teams received an avalanche alert at 1.57pm on January 11 and immediately went to the site, the resort said.
A team of more than 50 people, including medics, ski school instructors and a helicopter-deployed piste dog, were called in.
The man was located after 50 minutes buried under eight feet of snow, but could not be revived, the resort said.
He was with a group when the avalanche struck, but was not equipped with an avalanche transceiver and was not with a professional instructor, it added.
The Daily Mail previously reported at least 17 deaths on European slopes between December and January.
While ski resorts and official avalanche services generally maintain controlled piste areas, off-piste and unpatrolled terrain remains particularly dangerous.
Experts advise carrying avalanche safety equipment, travelling with experienced partners and checking official avalanche bulletins before heading into the mountains.
The president of the Association of Slope Safety (ADSP), Frédéric Bonnevie, took to Facebook to, criticise the level of ‘non-compliance with instructions’.
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