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Avalanche deaths: judicial inquiry into why French pupils were on closed piste French avalanche deaths: teacher to be questioned in manslaughter inquiry
(about 7 hours later)
A judicial investigation following the deaths of three people in an avalanche in the French Alps will look at why a school group was led on to a closed run, France’s sports minister has said. The teacher in charge of a group of French schoolchildren who were hit by an avalanche on a closed ski run in the French Alps has been placed in police custody and will be questioned over manslaughter.
Two children aged 14 and 16 died in the incident on Wednesday. They were among a group of 10 experienced young skiers on a week-long school trip from Lyon. A Ukrainian skier not linked to the group also died. Two schoolchildren aged 14 and 16 were killed by the vast snow-slide that struck while they were on a difficult black-rated ski run that had been closed for safety reasons amid avalanche warnings. The teacher, who was seriously injured in Wednesday’s accident, is in hospital in nearby Grenoble but will be questioned by police as part of an inquiry for manslaughter. A Ukrainian skier not linked to the group also died.
At least two other members of the school group were found in a state of cardiac arrest and the teacher was found with multiple injuries. They were transferred to a hospital in Grenoble. “We have to interview the hospitalised teacher as soon as we can,” the Grenoble prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat said earlier today. “The question is, why were they skiing on a closed piste?”
The judicial investigation will focus on why the teacher leading the school group, who is believed to have been a local instructor from Les Deux Alpes, took the children on to a closed ski run. The prosecutor has called for anyone present on the slopes to come forward. He said a Romanian had already come forward to say that a group of 10 to 15 people had been skiing above the school group, cutting across the snow. The Romanian said that shortly afterwards, he heard a noise like an explosion and the avalanche began.
Patrick Kanner, the French sports minister, told Europe 1 radio: “Why did the guide, who has been injured himself, take them on a run that was closed? Bad signage? Lack of judgment? The judicial inquiry will tell.” The teacher’s role and the exact order of events remains to be determined. One French official said that the school students may have skied ahead of their teacher.
He added: “How can one imagine taking children, after a period of heavy snow, on to a ski run that was closed? The investigation will determine who was responsible.” At least two other members of the school group were found in a state of cardiac arrest and were also transferred to the hospital in Grenoble.
The avalanche happened just before 4pm in Les Deux Alpes in Isère, about 30 miles (50km) from the Italian border. A large sheet of snow broke off above a black-rated run that had been closed following several days of heavy snowfall.The avalanche happened just before 4pm in Les Deux Alpes in Isère, about 30 miles (50km) from the Italian border. A large sheet of snow broke off above a black-rated run that had been closed following several days of heavy snowfall.
A spokesman from the Isère prefect’s office told France Info radio that the school group should “probably not” have been on the closed piste. He said an investigation would have to take place into whether warning signs had been correctly in place. There had been an avalanche warning in the surrounding area after heavy snowfall.A spokesman from the Isère prefect’s office told France Info radio that the school group should “probably not” have been on the closed piste. He said an investigation would have to take place into whether warning signs had been correctly in place. There had been an avalanche warning in the surrounding area after heavy snowfall.
The young skiers were from the Lycée Saint-Exupéry, a large high school in the centre of Lyon where sports staff regularly run day trips to the ski slopes on Wednesdays. The prefect of Isère, Jean-Paul Bonnetain, told AFP: “It appears that everyone from the school trip has been found but the searches are continuing to be sure that there were no other victims outside the school group.”The young skiers were from the Lycée Saint-Exupéry, a large high school in the centre of Lyon where sports staff regularly run day trips to the ski slopes on Wednesdays. The prefect of Isère, Jean-Paul Bonnetain, told AFP: “It appears that everyone from the school trip has been found but the searches are continuing to be sure that there were no other victims outside the school group.”
Dominique Létaing, head of the national agency for the study of snow and avalanches, told Le Monde that what stood out was the number of people hit “when we are constantly repeating that skiers must go one by one when there is an unstable layer of snow”. He said the avalanche risk was very high – at a level 3 out of 5. “That ski run had not been opened this season because there had been too little snow. It was not skiable.”Dominique Létaing, head of the national agency for the study of snow and avalanches, told Le Monde that what stood out was the number of people hit “when we are constantly repeating that skiers must go one by one when there is an unstable layer of snow”. He said the avalanche risk was very high – at a level 3 out of 5. “That ski run had not been opened this season because there had been too little snow. It was not skiable.”
Daniel Stanford, 31, an electrical contractor from the UK who was on holiday with friends in Isère, told the Guardian he missed the avalanche by minutes and was alerted to what happened “when scores of people were heading the mountain to help dig and offer help”.
He said: “The helicopter came and went up to five times while I was there, dropping supplies, stretchers and dogs to help locate victims. It was a very sombre time on the mountain and we all still can’t believe what happened.”
Related: Three dead after children engulfed by avalanche on closed piste in Les Deux AlpesRelated: Three dead after children engulfed by avalanche on closed piste in Les Deux Alpes
The radio station France Bleu said a large amount of unstable snow had fallen on the mountainside at an altitude of 2,500 metres. Local media reported that hundreds of tonnes of snow had slid down the mountain during the avalanche. The local paper, the Dauphine Libéré, said there had been a known avalanche risk in the area.The radio station France Bleu said a large amount of unstable snow had fallen on the mountainside at an altitude of 2,500 metres. Local media reported that hundreds of tonnes of snow had slid down the mountain during the avalanche. The local paper, the Dauphine Libéré, said there had been a known avalanche risk in the area.
About 100 rescuers including mountain teams, search dogs and helicopters with heat cameras designed to seek out survivors were mobilised as night fell. The search mission was said to be complex.About 100 rescuers including mountain teams, search dogs and helicopters with heat cameras designed to seek out survivors were mobilised as night fell. The search mission was said to be complex.
The French president, François Hollande, gave his “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims and said the nation stood “in solidarity” with them. The prime minister, Manuel Valls, tweeted his “great sadness”, saying France’s thoughts were with the victims. The education minister will travel to Lyon to support the school and the families.The French president, François Hollande, gave his “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims and said the nation stood “in solidarity” with them. The prime minister, Manuel Valls, tweeted his “great sadness”, saying France’s thoughts were with the victims. The education minister will travel to Lyon to support the school and the families.
Since the start of January, four people have been killed in avalanches in France – two Lithuanians, a Spaniard and a Czech skier.Since the start of January, four people have been killed in avalanches in France – two Lithuanians, a Spaniard and a Czech skier.
In September, seven people were killed by an avalanche in the Massif des Ecrins, one of the country’s worst snowslides in a decade. The avalanche struck three groups of roped climbers on an easily accessible 4,000-metre (13,000ft) mountain.In September, seven people were killed by an avalanche in the Massif des Ecrins, one of the country’s worst snowslides in a decade. The avalanche struck three groups of roped climbers on an easily accessible 4,000-metre (13,000ft) mountain.
In January last year, six members of the French Alpine Club aged between 50 and 70 were killed in an avalanche in the Hautes-Alpes.In January last year, six members of the French Alpine Club aged between 50 and 70 were killed in an avalanche in the Hautes-Alpes.