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At least four people have been killed in an avalanche in south-east France, police say.

The avalanche hit near the ski resort of Entraunes, in the French Alps near the border with Italy, at around 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT).

One person is thought to be missing and another is injured.

The avalanche struck in an area where people were skiing off-piste near the Mercantour national park, local media report.

A mountain rescue was underway on Friday afternoon, local officials said.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Could causing an avalanche save lives?

There have been a number of deadly avalanches in the French Alps this winter, with 16 deaths recorded since the ski season began in November.

A father and daughter were swept away in an avalanche whilst skiing on a closed ski slope near Val d'Isere last week.

Four skiers were also killed last month while on off-piste slopes in the Pyrenees mountains in two separate avalanches.

How dangerous is off-piste skiing?

Off-piste refers to any area not marked out and maintained for use by skiers

These slopes are not groomed by snow ploughs, so rocks, precipices and cliffs may be hard to spot, especially in poor visibility

Avalanches are a major risk as marked pistes are usually protected by controlled explosions and the use of snow ploughs</s>PARIS -- French authorities say four skiers have been killed, one is injured and another is missing after an avalanche in the southern Alps.

The French gendarmerie said the avalanche happened Friday in Entraunes, near the Italian border. The cause of the avalanche is unknown.

During a visit to the southern city of Nice, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told reporters that rescue operations are still ongoing.

Local media said the skiers, including a guide, were off-trail in a remote area of the Mercantour national park.

French authorities had warned against a high risk of avalanche in the Alps following heavy snowfall in recent days.</s>Four skiers were killed and another is missing after an avalanche occurred in Entraunes

A sixth was injured following the region’s deadliest avalanche this winter, in Entraunes, near the French Alps’ Italian border.

The group, which included a guide, was skiing off-piste in the remote region of the Mercantour national park when the avalanche struck, authorities said.

France had warned fresh snow brought in by the “Beast from the East” weather front increased the risk of an avalanche.

The latest tragedy brings the death toll of the French ski season to 16.</s>Another person has been injured and one more is missing after the avalanche in the area around Entraunes in the southern Alps near France's border with Italy, national police said on Twitter.

Georges-François Leclerc, chief of the Alpes-Maritimes region, said the avalanche had swept away people who were skiing off-piste near the Mercantour National Park.

A rescue operation was under way.

The avalanche is the deadliest to hit France this winter after an avalanche in the Pyrenees mountains on 15 February that killed three skiers.

A total of 16 people have died since France's ski season began in November, and 11 others have been injured.

The French Alps have experienced heavy snowfall since the start of the week, as a blast of icy weather from Siberia -- dubbed "the Beast from the East" -- engulfs Europe.</s>At least four people have been killed in an avalanche in south-east France, police say.

The avalanche hit near the ski resort of Entraunes, in the Alpes-Maritimes department near the border with Italy, at around 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT).

One person is thought to be missing and another is injured.

The avalanche struck in an area where people were skiing off-piste near the Mercantour national park, local media report.

There have been a number of deadly avalanches in the French Alps this winter.

A father and daughter were killed last week whilst skiing on a closed piste near Val d'Isere.</s>Four skiers have been killed and another is missing after an avalanche in the southern Alps, French authorities said.

Another skier was injured following the incident in Entraunes, near the Italian border.

During a visit to the southern city of Nice, French prime minister Edouard Philippe told reporters that rescue operations are still ongoing.

Local media said the skiers, including a guide, were off-trail in a remote area of the Mercantour national park.

According to reports, the avalanche was triggered just before 1pm local time on Friday.

It is the deadliest to hit France this winter after an avalanche in the Pyrenees mountains on February 15 that killed three skiers.

A total of 16 people have died since France's ski season began in November, and 11 others have been injured.

The French Alps have experienced heavy snowfall since the start of the week, as a blast of icy weather from Siberia - dubbed 'the Beast from the East' - engulfs Europe.

French authorities had warned against a high risk of avalanche in the Alps as a result of the snow.</s>Four skiers were killed and another injured in an avalanche in the French Alps on Friday and their guide was held for questioning, authorities said.

The group of six people was on a ski touring expedition in an off-trail area near Entraunes, close to the Italian border in the southern Alps.

The identities of the skiers were not immediately released. Prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre of Nice said in remarks shown on French television that they were "seniors," all with experience in backcountry skiing. He said the guide knew the area well.

A judicial inquiry was opened into manslaughter and involuntary injury, and the guide was taken in for questioning, the prosecutor said.

The cause of the avalanche was unknown. French authorities had warned against a high risk of avalanches in the Alps following heavy SNOW fall in recent days, and the prosecutor called that "a decisive element."

The Mountain Guides Union said the group was in a non-steep area of the Mercantour national park. In a statement, the union said the guide was also buried by the avalanche but managed to get out.

An avalanche farther north in the French Alps on Friday killed a 25-year-old woman at La Grave, according to local media reports.

More than a dozen people have died in avalanches in the French Alps this ski season, in addition to those killed in other parts of the mountain range.</s>At least four skiers died in an avalanche in the southern French Alps on Friday, authorities have said.

The avalanche occurred at the ski resort of Entraunes, on the edge of the Mercantour National Park in the Alpes-Maritimes department.

The local gendarmes said that as well as the four fatalities there was also another person missing and one person injured.

According to reports the avalanche was triggered just before 1pm.

Georges-Francois Leclerc, chief of the Alpes-Maritimes region, said the avalanche had struck people who were ski touring with their guide in an off-piste area near the Mercantour national park.

A rescue operation was under way. The warning level for the risk of avalanches in the area was at level 4 out of 5 on Friday, meaning snowslides were highly likely.

The south east of France has been hit by heavy snow in recent days that even saw the resort of Nice covered in a white blanket.

However temperatures have warned up in the last 24 hours which can increase the risk of avalanches in the mountains.

There have been several deadly avalanches in France this winter. Only last week a father and daughter were swept to the deaths whilst skiing on a closed piste near Val d'Isere.

That tragedy came just days after three skiers were killed by an avalanche in the Pyrenees.

A total of 16 people have died since France's ski season began in November, and 11 others have been injured.</s>PARIS (Reuters) - An avalanche in the French Alps killed four people on Friday and injured one, while another person was missing, police said, adding that a mountain rescue operation was underway.

The avalanche hit an area outside the ski slopes in the Entraunes area, French police said in a statement on Twitter.

Last month an avalanche swept away two skiers, a man and his 11-year-old daughter, in the alpine resort of Val d’Isere, while four others died in separate incidents in the Pyrenees.</s>Nice (France) (AFP) - At least four skiers were killed Friday in an avalanche in the French Alps, the deadliest of the winter so far, police said.

Another person was injured and has been hospitalised, while their guide escaped unharmed from the avalanche in the area around Entraunes in the southern Alps, local authorities in the Alpes-Maritimes department said.

They were swept away while skiing off-piste near the Mercantour National Park, not far from France's border with Italy.

"These valleys are highly popular with off-piste skiers because it's beautiful and wild," said Christophe Ollivier, a local official in nearby Vesubie.

The skiers had been staying at a guesthouse in Estenc and had started out toward the Cayolle pass with their guide at around 10:00 am (0900 GMT).

The French Alps have experienced heavy snowfall since the start of the week, as a blast of icy weather from Siberia -- dubbed "the Beast from the East" -- engulfs Europe.

"A lot of snow had fallen these past few days and the warmer weather since Thursday has destabilised the fresh snowpack," said Jean-Gabriel Delacroy of the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture.

The avalanche risk for the region is high, currently at four on a scale of one to five, according to the Meteo France weather agency.

Deputy prefect Gwenaelle Chapuis told BFM television that a police inquiry would determine "if this was recklessness or not".

A total of 20 people have now died since France's ski season began in November, and 12 have been injured.

On February 15 an avalanche in the Pyrenees mountains killed three skiers.
An avalanche near Entraunes in southeastern France, kills at least four people and leaves another one missing.