At least 6 dead in French Alps avalanche

ANKARA

At least six people were dead in an avalanche in eastern France, local media reported on Monday.

The avalanche swept down the Armancette glacier in the Alps on Sunday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the site.

According to the daily Le Figaro, one person was injured while eight others escaped unharmed.

Local authorities said that the exact number of hiking groups and skiers is unknown and that the rescue operations continued.

The avalanche was 500 meters (1,640 feet) wide and descended 1,600 meters (5,249 feet), local authorities said, adding that the country's weather authority Meteo France did not expect an avalanche for that day.