Today in History: Monday, Feb. 10

1970: Avalanche buries skiers in France

On Feb. 10, 1970, an avalanche crashed down on a ski resort in Val d’lsere, France, killing 42 people, mostly young skiers. The disaster was the worst such incident in French history. The resort at Val d’lsere was opened by a nonprofit youth organization and attracted many young ski enthusiasts. On the morning of Feb. 10, most of the guests were eating breakfast in a large room facing the mountain. Suddenly, there was an explosion-like sound and snow came rushing down the mountain. Three trail workers on the hill were swept away and killed. The young people in the hotel had little time to react. The snow exploded through the hotel’s large windows and swallowed the crowd inside. Thirty-nine people inside the hotel lost their lives to the avalanche, and 60 more suffered serious injuries. Authorities ordered evacuations of other ski resorts in the region. This proved to be a wise move as other avalanches followed in the next few days.