The video will start in 8 Cancel

News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A ‘hugely violent’ avalanche caused horror in a French ski resort hugely popular with British holidaymakers today.

A "mass of snow and impacted ice" hit the Carline piste in the Val Claret area of Tignes, in the Savoie department, covering "numerous people on the slopes".

French Police said at the time of the disaster it had "engulfed many skiers".

The snow crossed the "Carline" ski slope and witnesses said "there are many people under the avalanche," France Info reports.

But by midday local time, a spokesman for the local gendarmerie confirmed that there had been "no serious injuries" caused by the Tignes avalanche.

(Image: Twitter)

(Image: Twitter)

He said: "a few skiers were knocked around" but "everybody managed to get away."

It was less than a month after a similar disaster killed four people in the same area.

An emergency services worker at the scene today said: "Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders were setting off for a day’s skiing when the avalanche struck."

"There had been avalanche warnings, but this was on a monitored piste. Conditions are making searches difficult."

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

The source said a rescue helicopter had been scrambled to the scene, along with sniffer dogs and police search teams.

Violette Verite, of London, tweeted today: "I was submerged in the avalanche in Tignes this morning while on the slope.

"Single scariest moment of my life.

"Hope everybody is ok."

(Image: Twitter)

(Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter)

He said the alarm was raised at 10.06am, and the entire ski area was closed soon afterwards. The avalanche risk had been put at 4 out of 5 today.

On February 13th, two teenage boys were among four French snowboarders killed in an avalanche at Tignes.

(Image: Twitter) (Image: piste-maps.co.uk) (Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter)

The snowboarders, led by an instructor, died when a wall of snow swept through an off-piste area.

The group had been walking off-piste in the south-eastern resort with their snowboards in their hands when the avalanche hit.

The group, which included a 48-year-old man, his 15-year-old son and the son's 19-year-old half-brother, as well as the experienced and well-known instructor, 59, were only a few dozen metres from the ski lift.