Three skiers die and one is injured by an avalanche in Panticosa (Huesca) | Spain

Three people have died and another has been injured by hypothermia after being swept away this Monday by an avalanche on the Tablato peak, in the vicinity of the Panticosa Spa, in the Pyrenees of Huesca, according to sources from the Government of Aragon. The Mountain Rescue Group of the Civil Guard acted after the avalanche that surprised the group of six skiers. Sources from the Civil Guard have confirmed to EL PAÍS the sex of the victims: two men and a woman have died, and another woman has been slightly injured.

A call to the Aragon emergency service reported that, around one in the afternoon, an avalanche had occurred on the west face of Tablato peak, in the Panticosa Spa area, where mountain skiing is practiced. In total, there are three people dead, one injured by hypothermia and two others who are in good condition. The call to the Emergency Department warned that there were four people trapped. Following the notice, Benemérita has activated the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM), the Air Unit and a doctor from 061, who are already working in the area.

Lieutenant Baín Gutiérrez, head of the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM) in Jaca, confirmed that this “is not an area especially prone to avalanches, but any snowy terrain entails risk.” According to what he stated, the victims were expert mountaineers and had the appropriate material, “but even so, zero risk does not exist.” He has also assured that the avalanche has had a considerable extension, since it has affected an area of ​​about 300 meters wide and between 600 and 700 meters long, with areas of up to 15 meters thick snow. About 15 specialists and two search dogs have attended the area. “Self-help is crucial in an avalanche: the first minutes are decisive,” he commented.

Of the three people who died, only one has been confirmed to be from the Basque Country, although it is still unknown from which town the victim is. The general director of the Interior of Aragon, Miguel Ángel Clavero, explained to the media that the avalanche occurred at an altitude of between 2,600 and 2,700 meters after a plate broke and carried ice and snow, overwhelming the affected people.

He has also detailed that the snow did not completely bury the mountaineers, except for one who was half buried. All had injuries caused by the blows suffered during the avalanche drag. The bodies still remain in the accident area and will be transferred to the Forensic Anatomical Institute of Aragon when the judge authorizes the removal of the bodies.

The identity of the three people will be revealed once their families are located and informed, as stated by the Government delegate in Aragon, Fernando Beltrán, in an appearance before the media at the Panticosa heliport, together with those responsible for the rescue teams participating in the operation. “We can confirm that there have been two uninjured people, one of them the one who gave the notice and has precisely located the place of the event,” he declared.

The president of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, has published a message on his profile on

The PSOE candidate for the Presidency of the Government of Aragon, Pilar Alegría, has also canceled her agenda to travel to the area where mountain rescue teams are working, supported by two helicopters.

The place where the event occurred is very popular among those who practice mountain skiing, because it has a slope of about 1,000 meters. The State Meteorological Agency maintains an avalanche risk level of 2 out of 5 in this area.