Three people have died in an avalanche that struck the Alpine ski resort of Bonneval-sur-Arc in south-eastern France this morning.

The cross-country skiers, two men and one women, were passing the Vallonet Glacier in Vanoise National Park when the avalanche was triggered around 10am (9am BST), according to local newspaper Le Dauphine.

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One of the men has been named as mountain guide Simon Paris. It is unclear whether he was working or skiing with friends.

The three are said to have been forced over a perimeter after the snow on the glacier beneath them gave way.

The area was placed on yellow alert by French weather agencies due to rainy conditions and mild temperatures which made the snow on high slopes fragile.

The town's mayor Gabriel Blanc told French media that the bodies of the three victims had been recovered and the search and rescue operation for other survivors had been called off.

"We know from a reliable source that they were only three," he said.