On Wednesday 19 April 2023, a new avalanche took place, early in the morning, in the Mont-Blanc massif. A serac fall in the area of the Grands Mulets Hut where two people lost their lives.
According to the Dauphine, around 4:30 am, mountaineers were surprised by an avalanche. Large blocks of ice broke off from the Dôme du Goûter and triggered a flow that reached the Mont Blanc ascent route by crossing the sector of the small and large plateau.
NEWS UPDATE
Thursday 20 April - The victims are a couple of German nationals
The civil security helicopter was engaged around 5:30 am on Wednesday 19 April, with rescuers from the Chamonix PGHM. The aerial search made it possible to extract, on the terminal portion of the heap of ice and snow, two completely buried people, at respectively 1 meter and 1.5 meters deep. They were German nationals aged 53 and 54 years old, a married couple, found thanks to their avalanche victim detector.
According to the first testimonies of the tragedy, they were the most advanced in the ascent of Mont Blanc. The PGHM and the civil security helicopter evacuated all the mountaineers.
10:49 am - Rescue operations in the Mont-Blanc Massif are over
The final death toll : 2 people lost their lives.
1 person is slightly injured and 4 people are unscathed
— Préfet de la Haute-Savoie (@Prefet74) April 19, 2023
09:15 am - Prefect announces a provisional death toll: 2 people died and 1 is slightly injured
This morning, about fifteen people had left the refuge to set off for the roof of Europe. The provisional report shows two people dead and one is slightly injured. The identity of the victims is still unknown, but they could be German nationals.
Les services de secours sont en intervention sur le massif du Mt-Blanc à la suite d'une chute de sérac. Le bilan provisoire fait malheureusement état de 2 personnes décédées et 1 blessé léger. Merci au PGHM, sécurité civile et aux médecins des @HopitauxMB pour leur mobilisation.
— Préfet de la Haute-Savoie (@Prefet74) April 19, 2023
Source: @Le Dauphine , @twitter.com
