Avalanches killed 14 people in Switzerland this winter
Two ski tourers died in an avalanche at La Fouly, canton Valais, on January 24, 2024.
Police cantonale valaisanne
Fourteen people died in avalanches in the Swiss Alps this winter, mostly ski tourers, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) reported on Wednesday. This is slightly below the long-term average of 17 for the same period.
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The 14 people lost their lives in twelve separate accidents, according to official statistics published on Wednesday by the Davos-based SLF.
Twelve of the victims were on unsafe terrain: eight were ski touring and four were skiing off piste. A worker also lost his life in a quarry, and a run buried a skier on an open ski slope. Three accidents occurred in December 2023, one in January, one in February and seven in March 2024.
In total, 190 people were affected by avalanches this winter, an above-average statistic. SLF said a growing number of avalanche accidents without grave consequences were being reported to the institute.
Overall, the winter of 2023/2024 was very mild. While snow levels were above average at high altitudes, there was significantly less snow than usual at medium and low altitudes. It was “white at the top, green at the bottom”, SLF said.
Experts have dubbed this season the “winter of sliding avalanches”. Some 2,300 landslide avalanches were reported to the SLF this winter. By way of comparison, there were only 293 last winter.
Landslide avalanches are less dangerous for winter sports enthusiasts than dry slab avalanches because they cannot be triggered by individuals. On the other hand, they represent a major challenge for ski and road safety services, which can be endangered over a prolonged period of time.
Adapted from French by DeepL/sb
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