Terrifying moment deadly avalanche sweeps down Swiss mountain killing US teen and two adults at top Alpine ski resort
THIS is the terrifying moment a monstrous avalanche swept down a Swiss mountain killing a US teen and two adults at a top Alpine ski resort.
Chilling footage shows the deadly wave of ice and snow cascading down from the peaks of the Riffelberg in Switzerland, as horrified skiers watch on from afar.
The rumbling avalanche by the Swiss Alpine ski resort of Zermatt on Easter Monday saw three people killed and another injured, police said.
It took place at about 2pm in an off-piste area of the Riffelberg, reportedly above the resort and below the famous Matterhorn.
“It looked to me as if there were several people on the slope at the time of the avalanche,” a horrified witness told local outlet Blick.
It is understood that a 15-year-old from the United States is among those dead, The Guardian reports.
A man and a woman were also killed, but police have not yet identified them.
Cops gave no further details but said they had no information on the woman’s identity.
A fourth person was found injured and taken to a local hospital following a frantic search for survivors involving four helicopters.
Two of the victims reportedly had an avalanche search device with them, according to Blick.
A spokesperson for police in the southern canton of Valais said it was unclear whether more people could still be missing, with police saying in a brief statement that search operations had been halted for Monday.
Access to the area, which had a lot of snow, was difficult, Valais police said.
