Three killed in avalanche were off-piste

Swiss officials say all three people who died on Monday in an avalanche in Davos were skiing off-piste. The public prosecutor in Graubünden said Swiss skiers set off the avalanche which swept away two of the group, as well as a German man and his son.

Swiss officials say all three skiers who died on Monday in an avalanche in the resort of Davos were off-piste when the accident happened. The public prosecutor in Graubünden said Swiss skiers set off the avalanche which swept away two of the group, as well as a German man and his son.

The son survived with light injuries.

It was originally announced that two Swiss skiers from Geneva were on a prepared piste in the Meierhof Taelli area when they were swept away by the avalanche that was triggered above them. But an inquiry has shown that the two Swiss were part of a group of four who were crossing the Mittelgrat in an unmarked area when one of them set off the avalanche.

For the question of liability, it is important to know where the victims were in relation to the piste. The inquiry continues.

It is the most deadly avalanche so far this winter. In total, 12 people have been killed in the Swiss Alps this season in eight avalanches.

Meanwhile, rescuers are continuing to search Italy’s northern Venosta Valley, where four people were killed after two separate avalanches. The victims were part of a group of eight skiers, most of them German, who were trapped while skiing off-piste.

Weather forecasters say the danger of avalanches is likely to remain high for the next few days following recent heavy snowfalls.

From staff and wire reports