Name: Third Briton dies in French Alps avalanches in one week | BBC News
Uploaded: 2026-02-18T17:27:14.000Z
Duration: 5 min 20 s
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Heavy rain and snow in the Alps have led to a series of avalanches resulting in dozens of deaths so far this season.

Last weekend alone, two snowboarders were killed in Tyrol province in western Austria, while two skiers were killed in Italy on Sunday.

Past simple

On Tuesday, another deadly avalanche in the ski resort of Kumaya killed at least two skiers.

Siobhan Holford from Essex here in the UK filmed a scary narrow escape just she and her family had after that avalanche in Kumaya yesterday afternoon.

She joined us live from the ski resort to tell us what happened.

We were standing in the queue waiting for the chair left and a lot of people started pointing behind us to point out that there was an avalanche in the valley behind.

It was obviously incredible to see, just like in real life.

And then all of a sudden people, the cloud, the snow from the aftermath of the avalanche was just getting closer and closer and it then suddenly like doomed on everyone that that's actually going to hit us.

And then within seconds it literally engulfed everyone.

We were surrounded by ski school kids who were obviously screaming and crying.

My sister in law was very shooken up, she was crying and it was, we couldn't see, it was quite hard to breathe.

And then once it obviously left, it was such a relief to that we were okay.

We could look at the pictures, the video that you filmed.

The whole area is covered with thick layers of snow.

So the chairlift had stopped and then they.

Soon after that it all lifted, the chairlift began again and we were just trying to calm down all the ski school kids as they were really panicking.

And we just calmly managed to get on their ski lift.

All the staff are incredible, the ski instructors are incredible, but it was very scary.

To this day we're hearing about avalanches happening in the Alps.

Just tell us what was happening at the resort in the lead up to this.

So it was on high alert for off peace skiing for avalanches.

And as you previously said, there was an avalanche here in Cormier on Sunday and then obviously the one that we experienced Tuesday and Monday.

Quite a lot of the resort did end up closing because of the risk to the avalanche.

Quite a lot of the lifts higher up the mountain were closed and this one obviously was a natural avalanche.

But obviously we were on peace, so we thought we'd be okay.

I'm sure this wasn't your intention, but what's been your reaction to the video that.

What's been the reaction to the video that you posted there and what people had to say to you?

Actually, a lot of people keep saying, why are you standing there not doing anything?

And I don't think people realize we were in a queue for a lift.

There wasn't actually anywhere for us to go.

But, yeah, there was a lot of comments saying, why you just stand in there?

The ski lift had paused, obviously, because of all of the snow that had come over us.

So is this just your holiday that's been.

We've been coming to Cormier for eight years.

The people here are so lovely and welcome in the place we stay.

My brother and my dad are actually up the mountain.

We continue to ski afterwards in the safe areas that were all still open.

So, yeah, it's incredible that you're still skiing.

Just tell us what you're hearing about the conditions in the Alps more broadly when it comes to these avalanches at the moment.

So obviously we've been watching the coverage very closely and we know there's pretty much every day we keep hearing about the avalanches.

And I think that's the important thing to do, is to follow the guidance of the experts and stay in the safest places.

And that's what we continue to do and will continue to do.

Some of the people who were trapped in the mountains during the avalanche still there at the ski resort.

And what are they telling you about their experiences?

I think everyone is kind of a strange experience.

I don't think it's something you ever expect to experience.

You always kind of feel like you are safe and that it wouldn't happen.

Like, the staff was so calming that it was.

All the ski instructors were like, everything's going to be okay.

It wasn't like we were caught up in the complete avalanche.

So they actually really reassured us and have been great to keep the area and everyone really calm.

Siobhan Holford there on her lucky escape in the Alps there.