An investigation is underway after a British woman died after a “violent collision” on a ski slope in the French Alps.
The 62-year-old reportedly collided with a British man, a stationary skier, on the Aguilar Rouge mountain in Les Arcs on Tuesday.
According to French news outlet Le Dauphine, she died a short time later after suffering traumatic shock.
The man’s leg was broken in the collision. Neither has been named.
The incident took place at the Les Arcs resort in Savoie, southeastern France.
It happened around 10:30 (09:30 GMT), when the woman went down a “beautiful” black run on the Aiguille Rouge mountain, Philippe Janin, director of slope safety at the resort, told AFP news agency. had been
Black runs are extremely difficult slopes that are considered suitable only for expert skiers.
Mr Janin said the 62-year-old lost control of his skis before crashing into a 35-year-old man who was standing on the piste. Emergency services attended the scene but she died a short time later.
He added that he believed both skiers were wearing helmets, and that the man was taken to hospital with a broken leg.
Local prosecutor Benoît Bachelet told AFP that an investigation was underway to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in France and are in contact with local authorities.”
According to Domaines Skibles de France, the association representing ski area operators in France, an average of 10 traumatic deaths are recorded on French slopes each year.
It adds that up to half of them are the result of hitting an obstacle or another skier.