Swiss avalanche deaths slightly higher than average

Slightly more people died in avalanches in the Swiss Alps last winter than on average, according to avalanche researchers. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. Avalanches resulted in 23 fatalities during the 2023/2024 winter, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) told the Keystone-SDA news agency. Over the last 20 years, there has been an average of 21 avalanche fatalities per year in Switzerland, according to SLF. The total number of people caught up in avalanches last winter is also higher than on average – 261 cases were recorded in the last few months compared to an average of 220. “We have to bear in mind that we are receiving more and more reports of accidents with a less serious outcome,” said avalanche warning officer Benjamin Zweifel. The number of unreported accidents is therefore becoming smaller and smaller. Translated from German by DeepL/mga How we work This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external ...