British skier dies in Italian avalanche

A BRITISH skier died after being swept away by an avalanche in the Italian Alps, mountain rescue officials said today.

The 37-year-old man was skiing off-piste in Val di Rhemes with a group of friends and a guide when he was caught in the tumbling snow yesterday.

He died on the way to hospital, a mountain rescue spokesman said.

The incident took place at about 5pm, when the group was skiing near a run called the Punta Paletta on Mount Rosso.

The avalanche was thought to be about 400 metres wide.

The spokesman said the weather in the region had been warm recently.

The incident is the latest of a number of mountain-related deaths recorded in the Aosta region this year, he added.