Avalanche kills man at Swedish ski resort

A ski patroller has died after being injured in an avalanche at the Funäsfjällen ski resort near Härjedalen in northern Sweden on Monday.

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The accident took place on Monday afternoon when the man was carrying out a routine assessment of avalanche danger at the Tänndalen area of the Funäsfjällen resort.

But the man was suddenly swept down the hill in an avalanche which left him buried under the masses of snow.

Colleagues were able to dig the man out after about 45 minutes at which point he was taken to hospital in Östersund by helicopter.

Early Tuesday morning, however, the man died from his injuries.

Grönklittsgruppen, the company that manages the ski area, said it plans to review its procedures in light of the incident.

“We're going to have a look at our procedures and the type of safety equipment that was used,” Torbjörn Wallin, head of the Grönklittsgruppen, told the TT news agency.

A woman who was also involved in the avalanche safety check sustained mild injuries.

The pair were working near the Hamra lift when the avalanche occurred in an off-piste area.

According to Wallin, the man who died was a very experienced ski patroller.

“He's even conducted trainings in avalanche safety,” Wallin told TT.

On Monday, the avalanche risk at Tänndalen was at a level three on a five-level scale, which corresponds to a significant avalanche risk.