Two British men and one French national have died after an avalanche swept through the Manchet valley near Val d’Isère in the French Alps. The Britons were part of a group of five skiing off-piste with an instructor when the avalanche struck on Friday morning, while the French victim was skiing alone, according to local prosecutors. Another British skier sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the deaths and was in contact with French authorities to provide consular assistance. Albertville prosecutor Benoit Bachelet confirmed that a manslaughter investigation has been opened and will be handled by specialist mountain rescue police. The ski instructor involved was unharmed and tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

The avalanche followed heavy snowfall linked to Storm Nils, which dumped up to a metre of snow across parts of the Alps, leaving the snowpack highly unstable. Météo-France had issued a red alert for avalanche risk in the Savoie region a day earlier, warning of dangerous conditions. Authorities say several fatal avalanches have occurred this winter, underscoring the ongoing risks of off-piste skiing despite lifted alerts.

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