Mountaineer killed by avalanche (3)

(ANSA) - Cuneo, February 15 - A French mountaineer died in an avalanche near Cuneo on Thursday.
    The man was descending with three companions from the Cima dell'Agnel when a block of snow collapsed under his feet and he plunged dozens of metres down onto rocks where the impact killed him.
    The accident happened near Entracque, in the Valle Gesso. The site was the Vallone della Barra, which climbs towards the Gelas mountain, on the border with France. Rescue operations are taking place at the scene of the accident, 2,300 metres up. Emergency 118 teams have been joined by mountain rescue services. Avalanches in the Italian Alps have reaped several victims this year.