At least four killed in avalanche near Tignes ski resort in French Alps

At least four people have been killed and several others swept away in an avalanche near a major ski resort in the French Alps.

Five people remain trapped beneath the 400-metre-wide snowslide which hit an off-piste slope near the ski resort of Tignes, close to the Italian border, at 9.35am on Monday.

Two helicopters and sniffer dogs are helping around 100 rescuers - including volunteers - as they search for survivors.

Vanessa Hackman, of Edge Magazine who is in Tignes, told Sky News a "massive rescue mission" was under way.

She said the search was all the more difficult because the party "either didn't have equipment or it was ripped off them by the force of the avalanche".

"It is a pretty sombre day in Tignes," she added.

The skiing party of nine was on the slopes at an altitude of 2,100 metres (6,900ft) when the avalanche struck.

It was reportedly set off by a group of skiers higher up on the slopes.

Of the fatalities, two skiers were initially pulled out alive but died shortly after being rescued, said police.

The avalanche hit the alpine skiing station - popular with British skiers - at a busy time, with families flocking to the resorts during the school half-term holidays.

The nationalities of those among the skiing party are not yet known.

Tignes, along with the neighbour resort of Val d'Isere, is part of Espace Killy - one of the largest ski areas in the world.

Around four inches of fresh snow fell on the slopes of the resort last week and more is forecast this week.

The risk of an avalanche had been a three on a scale of five, with a strong wind and warmer temperatures increasing the likelihood of one occurring, according to experts.