(CNN) -- At least four people have been killed after an avalanche buried nine at the ski resort of Tignes in the French Alps, CNN affiliate BMFTV reported, citing mountain rescue officials.

A mountain guide and eight skiers were swept away Monday in an off-piste part of the resort 2,100 meters above sea level, rescuers said.

The avalanche was 400 meters wide and there is "little hope" of finding people still alive, Emmanuel Dubost from the French National Police's general reserve said.

Rescuers have deployed dog teams and two medical helicopters are on standby for the five people who remain missing.

The Tignes resort website had the risk of an avalanche at a significant 3 out of 5 on Monday.

Tignes is in eastern France close to the Italian border. </s> At least four people have been killed in an avalanche in the French ski resort of Tignes. Emergency responders are currently searching for survivors.

Local authorities said on Monday (13 February) they were searching for a missing group of nine, a family of eight and their guide, that had been swept away by the avalanche on an off-piste slope, according to the French outlet BFMTV.

The first alarm was raised at 11:00 local time (10:00 BST) with the avalanche falling at roughly 21,100 metres above sea level.

Trackers and dog teams have been sent to the slopes with two medical helicopters ready to deal with any survivors. CRS Courchevel, which is helping in the rescue efforts, has said it is unlikely any other survivors will be recovered.

The disaster struck at a particularly busy time in the Alpine resort, when French families travel to the mountains for the half-term holidays. European ski resorts have experienced particularly hazardous skiing conditions in recent weeks with a high risk of avalanches following large volumes of snowfall.

The landslide follows a particularly treacherous weekend in the French Alps. Since Sunday two skiers have been killed in the Haute-Savoie area. In the first incident one skier was caught up in an avalanche as they skied off piste. In the second incident, just hours later, one skier in the nearby resort of La Cluza was killed.

Today, 13 February, the risk of avalanches in the mountains was placed at a level of three out of five. Since the beginning of the skiing season in December a total of 13 avalanches have led to three deaths in the Alps and the Pyrenees in France. In the 2015-16 season a total of 21 were killed in 45 different incidents. </s> At least four people have been killed and five others are missing after being buried by an avalanche at the French Alps ski resort of Tignes on Monday.

A spokeswoman at the resort’s ski station confirmed the deaths and said the missing were a ski instructor and a family of four, though she did not know if children were among them.

Rescuers said that a guide and eight other skiers were swept away in an off-piste part of the resort 2,100 meters above sea level, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported.

The avalanche was 400 meters wide and there is “little hope” of finding people still alive, Emmanuel Dubost from the French National Police’s general reserve said.

A team of 40 rescuers are scouring the area for the missing and have deployed dog teams in the operation. Two medical helicopters are also on standby.

The Tignes resort website had the risk of an avalanche at a significant 3 out of 5 on Monday. Travel companies are warning skiers not to go off-piste without a professional guide.

Tignes is in eastern France close to the Italian border. </s> At least four people are feared dead after an avalanche near the French ski resort of Tignes.

Approximately nine people are believed to have been swept away by the snowslide on Monday, according to local media.

Authorities said emergency services were looking for other survivors from the skiing party which was struck while on an off-piste slope.

With French schools enjoying half-term holidays, the avalanche came at a particularly busy time for skiing destinations across the country.

Tignes, situated in south-eastern France near the Italian border, was the venue for the freestyle skiing at 1992 Winter Olympics. </s> At least four people have died in an avalanche that swept away a group of nine in an off-piste area near the ski resort of Tignes in the French Alps, rescue services have said.

Two people have been pulled out alive, they said, adding that the avalanche was 400 metres wide. Three people remain unaccounted for.

The accident near Tignes, a major resort near the Italian border, occurred at an altitude of 6,900ft (2,100 metres). </s> Rescuers have said an avalanche in the French Alpine Ski resort of Tignes has killed at least four.

An avalanche swept through an off-piste area of the resort, a group of nine was buried. Police say five people are still missing.

It has been reported that the group was made up of eight skiers and one guide.

The avalanche occurred at an altitude of 2,100 metres, it also struck at a busy time during the half-term holidays.

A rescue official from nearby Albertville, said: “Five people are still buried under a huge mass of snow,”

The ski station said in a statement that the avalanche appeared to have been set off by a group of skiers higher up.

Two helicopters are out looking for skiers as well as sniffer dogs.

This avalanche has been the worst France has seen since the beginning of the season.

France’s Dauphine Libere reported, that the resort had an avalanche warning of three out of five on Monday. </s> An avalanche in France has left four dead and three missing after a mass of snow swept away nine people in the ski resort of Tignes, Savoie.

Rescue workers were alerted at 11am local time to the disaster which struck an off-piste slope, according to Emmanuel Dubost of the local police.

Two people have so far been pulled out alive and three remain unaccounted for, rescue services said.

A helicopter was dispatched to the area above Lake Tignes on the slope of Lavachet in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Police and emergency services were rushed to Tignes from the nearby resort of Courchevel to reinforce those already at the scene.

The avalanche was reportedly 400 metres wide and occurred at an altitude of 2,100 metres.

The Tignes piste service have said the avalanche took place in an area where the snow stacks meaning evacuation is difficult.

According to France3 finding the buried victims could take time.

The identities and nationalities of those killed have not been announced. </s> At least four skiers died in an avalanche in the southern French Alps on Friday, authorities have said.

The avalanche occurred at the ski resort of Entraunes, on the edge of the Mercantour National Park in the Alpes-Maritimes department.

The local gendarmes said that as well as the four fatalities there was also another person missing and one person injured.

According to reports the avalanche was triggered just before 1pm.

Georges-Francois Leclerc, chief of the Alpes-Maritimes region, said the avalanche had struck people who were ski touring with their guide in an off-piste area near the Mercantour national park.

A rescue operation was under way. The warning level for the risk of avalanches in the area was at level 4 out of 5 on Friday, meaning snowslides were highly likely.

The south east of France has been hit by heavy snow in recent days that even saw the resort of Nice covered in a white blanket.

However temperatures have warned up in the last 24 hours which can increase the risk of avalanches in the mountains.

There have been several deadly avalanches in France this winter. Only last week a father and daughter were swept to the deaths whilst skiing on a closed piste near Val d'Isere.

That tragedy came just days after three skiers were killed by an avalanche in the Pyrenees.

A total of 16 people have died since France's ski season began in November, and 11 others have been injured. </s> Four people were killed and five were buried under snow on Monday when an avalanche slammed a ski resort in the French Alps, according to published reports.

The nine people were enjoying a day on the slopes of Tignes in south-eastern France, when the avalanche swept through the area around 11 a.m., The Independent reported.

Eight of the victims were tourists and the ninth was a mountain guide, The Daily Mail said.

Rescue crews, including two helicopters and sniffer dogs, initially reported that two people were dead and two were alive. They later amended their statement, saying that all four were dead.

“Five people are still buried under a huge mass of snow,” one rescue official said.

The death toll is expected to rise, officials fear.

The massive avalanche, which was the worst so far this winter in France, was triggered by skiers high up on a mountain peak, according to published reports.

This year, there have been 13 avalanches in the Alps and the Pyrenees, which straddles France and Spain. Three people have been killed.

Last year, there were 21 people killed during 45 avalanches.
At least four skiers are killed in an avalanche at the Tignes resort in France.