French Alps avalanches claim five lives in two days

Over 50 rescuers find man buried 2.5m under snow after an hour, but he could not be saved

Two avalanches killed two skiers in the French Alps on Sunday, resort officials said, following the deaths of three off-piste skiers a day earlier in similar incidents.

In one incident, a British skier aged about 50 was buried while skiing off-trail, according to a statement released by La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France.

More than 50 rescuers were deployed, finding the man buried under 2.5 metres (eight feet) of snow after nearly an hour of searching, but he could not be resuscitated.

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A skier buried in an avalanche in Courchevel was also found dead, the resort said, without providing further details

French weather forecasters had warned of a high risk of avalanches this weekend. Officials in the Savoie region recorded at least six avalanches in the department's ski areas on Sunday morning.

Two separate avalanches claimed the lives of three off-piste skiers in the French Alps on Saturday.