Around sixty residents of a mountain hamlet in Isère, in the French Alps, began being evacuated by helicopter on Sunday after their only access road was blocked by a major avalanche.
The evacuation started at 9:30, with the Isère prefecture confirming that helicopter rotations would likely continue until midday.
The avalanche occurred overnight between Thursday and Friday, cutting off the departmental road 526 leading to the Rivier d’Allemont hamlet, home to about 100 residents. Authorities estimate that clearing the road to restore access could take one to two weeks.
Evacuated residents are being taken near the Verney Dam in Oisans, from where they will be housed and fed in a community hall in Allemond. The operation is being jointly organised by the prefecture, mountain rescue teams, and the municipality of Allemond.
Meanwhile, approximately 40 residents who chose to remain in the hamlet were scheduled to receive an aerial delivery of food supplies on Sunday, enough to last several days, according to the prefecture.
Avalanche risks in the Oisans mountain range remained “significant” at level three out of five on Sunday, as reported by Météo-France.
