A 14-year-old schoolboy and a Ukrainian man were killed today when an avalanche swept away skiers in the French Alps, including a group of school children, local officials said.
The avalanche hit a piste at the Deux-Alpes resort in eastern France that was still closed to the public, engulfing a group of nine French school children and their teacher, according to police sources.
One of them was killed, three were seriously injured -- including the teacher -- and five children were still missing. Another escaped unhurt.
A Ukrainian man who was not part of the group was also killed, police said.
After a holiday season of remarkably warm temperatures, a sudden flurry of snow in recent days has led to a high risk of avalanches across the French Alps.
Four other people have died since January in avalanches in the French Alps -- two Lithuanians, a Spaniard and a Czech.
