2 skiers killed in avalanche in southeast France: media

PARIS -- Two French skiers were killed on Saturday after being caught in an avalanche while skiing off-piste in Val-d'Isere in France's Savoie department, local media reported.

The two victims were buried under 2.5 meters of snow, and rescuers failed to revive them after managing to locate and reach them, said French daily Le Figaro, citing the statement of Val-d'Isere Tourism.

The two skiers were not equipped with avalanche transceivers and could only be located through their mobile phones, and rescuers had to probe the snowpack to find them over an area measuring 10 meters by 15 meters, it said.

Both victims were in cardiac arrest and could not be brought back to life despite the efforts of the rescue team, it added.

Val d'Isere is a ski resort in Savoie, renowned as an winter sports destination.