Dialogos

Avalanches in Italy Claim Lives of German and French Skiers

Published January 3, 2026, 08:01
Avalanches in Italy Claim Lives of German and French Skiers

Three people have died in avalanches in the Italian Alps, according to the latest reports from rescue services. The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds had increased the risk in recent days. A German skier and a French skier were killed in the Val Maira valley of Piedmont, near the French border, at noon on Friday. The German skier was swept away by an avalanche at an altitude of 2,300 meters and was found dead by other skiers. Around 3:00 PM (local time, 4:00 PM in Cyprus), a few kilometers further north in Bobbio Pellice (near Turin), a French skier was also caught in an avalanche. A fellow skier signaled for help, but the man was pronounced dead upon the arrival of rescuers. Italian news agency ANSA also reported that a 50-year-old Italian man died in the morning due to an avalanche on a mountainside in the Veneto region while hiking with a friend. The authorities had warned of the increased risk of avalanches and urged skiers and hikers to be particularly careful. The situation remains dangerous in the Italian Alps, as snowfall and strong winds continue, further increasing the risk of avalanches.