2 Kids, Tourist Killed, More Missing in Alps Avalanche

Three people—including two children—were killed in an avalanche in the French Alps on Wednesday, and five more children are still missing, the BBC reports. The two children killed, one of whom is reportedly a 14-year-old boy, were part of a group of nine students accompanied by a teacher, according to the AFP. The BBC reports the third victim is a Ukrainian tourist who was not with the group. More than 60 people with dogs and four helicopters are searching for the missing children. According to the AFP, two other students and their teacher were seriously hurt. The teacher was found unconscious, and the two students were "found in a state of cardiac arrest," the BBC reports.

The avalanche occurred around 3:45pm local time at an area called Les Deux Alpes, the Guardian reports. The school group was on a black ski run—the most difficult rating—at the time of the avalanche. According to the AFP, the area was closed to the public. Prior to Wednesday's incident, four people had been killed in avalanches in the French Alps since the beginning of the month. The risk of avalanches is currently high due to warm temperatures followed by heavy snow. (More French Alps stories.)