Two Dutch skiers killed by avalanche in France

Two young Dutch skiers were killed in an avalanche at the French ski village of Saint-Colomban-des-Villards on Monday. They were skiing off the guarded slopes when the avalanche struck them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the victims are two young men from Eindhoven, aged 20 and 21, AD reports.

According to French media, the avalanche dragged the two Dutchmen almost 250 meters. Trackers and the local police eventually found them thanks to a sniffer dog and an avalanche probe. Emergency services rushed them to the hospital in Grenoble-Alpes, where they were both pronounced dead.

People who ski off the guarded slopes with no experience or preparation are playing with their lives, Arjen de Graaf of the Dutch Ski Association said to AD. "It is just like Russian roulette," said director Arjen de Graaf. "Off-piste skiing can be compared to swimming in the sea: you have to know what you are doing. If you don't, you run great risks."

He called the death of the two young Eindhoven men "extraordinarily sad." "This confirms once again that you should always be on your guard off the slopes. Go prepared is our advice. That way, you minimize the risk of an incident."