GENEVA, Dec 28 — An avalanche has killed a cross-country skier in southwestern Switzerland, police said Saturday.

The avalanche occurred at around 1:30 pm (1230 GMT) on Friday as two skiers made their way along the Cheilon glacier near Arolla, the Wallis regional police said.

"Suddenly, the snow mass gave way under the skis of one of them. He was carried by the avalanche to the bottom of the slope,” a statement said.

Rescue workers were dispatched by helicopter and quickly located the victim under the snow.

"They resuscitated him before transporting the unfortunate man to Sion hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased is a 27-year-old Swiss man.”

The avalanche risk in the area is currently at level "3 – considerable” on a scale of one to five, according to Switzerland’s Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research.

It was the second avalanche fatality of the winter in Switzerland, following the death on Monday of Sophie Hediger, 26, a member of the national snowboard cross team.

She was swept away by an avalanche in Arosa in southeast Switzerland.

Hediger won a snowboard cross silver medal at the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and achieved her first Snowboard World Cup podium finishes in the 2023/24 season. — AFP