Six Avalanche Deaths in Italy Near Winter Olympic Regions
7th February 2026
Last modified on February 9th, 2026
Six skiers have died in Northern Italy, one in France and two climbers have perished in an avalanche in the High Tatras in Slovakia. UPDATED
On Saturday four people died in three separate avalanches in Italy in the area where the Winter Olympics are being held.
- A man skiing off piste with another three skiers at Punta Rocca died after being caught in an avalanche. His companions started a search operation with help from other skiers, until rescuers arrived.
- Another two off-piste skiers died in Albosaggia, a village in the lower Valtellina valley.
- A large avalanche occurred around midday in Val di Fiemme, involving four ski mountaineers. One was buried and killed, another sustained serious injuries, while the remaining two managed to escape unharmed.
Last Thursday two skiers from Finland in their 50s died in an avalanche in northern Italy.
The accident occurred in the afternoon near the resort of Solda in Sud Tirol.
Another skier survived.
Rescuers were heading by helicopter to another avalanche incident when they spotted the aftermath of an avalanche with a person digging.
One person was buried 1.5m under the snow and the other 60cms.
In the other incident the rescue services were heading to there were no injuries.
Italy’s snow and avalanche risks association, AINEVA, which is part of the European Avalanche Warning Services, warned of a risk of avalanches for Sunday.
There was also an avalanche in France on Saturday that killed a 60-year old man in the Valfréjus area in Savoie.
He was skiing off piste in a group.
The avalanche risk was 3 out of 5 at the time – ‘considerable’.
In Slovakia two Hungarian climbers, aged 38 and 37, have died after an avalanche.
Once alerted poor weather prevented the rescue services from using a helicopter to reach the scene of the accident near the Tupa peak and they had to travel by foot.
The victims were located under the avalanche by witnesses to the incident, but they did not survive.
They are the latest victims this winter after a series of avalanche fatalities.
- Snowshoer dies in avalanche in France
- Three more avalanche deaths in France
- Eight skies die in avalanches in Austria in one day
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