Two separate avalanches killed four Norwegians and one Swiss skier.

A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an <a target=_blank href=

An avalanche in the French Alps on Wednesday killed four Norwegian skiers swept away by the off-piste torrent of snow and ice, officials in the southeastern Savoie region told AFP.

In Siviez in the Swiss canton of Valais, only about 20 mountain enthusiasts took the avalanche dog handler training course last week. There are around 50 such handlers in Valais today – some 30% fewer than 20 years ago.