Two dead in freak skiing accidents

A 48-year-old businessman from Liverpool was killed in Austria when rocks crushed the taxi in which he and his family were travelling.

The family were on their way to a hotel at Soll in the Tyrol when 150mph winds caused snow and boulders to crash through trees and on to the roof of the taxi.

A day later a 32-year-old snowboarder from Leeds died after falling 80ft down a crevasse on the Valle Blanche, near Chamonix, France.

It is believed the man died after he removed his snowboard and walked across the bridge, which collapsed under him.

The man was snowboarding the world famous 13.7-mile 8,500ft high off-piste stretch with a group of friends when the accident happened.

A spokesman for the PGHM, the high mountain police, told the Daily Mail: "We still do not know exactly what happened but we do know the man had hired a guide.

"It is a difficult area to ski or snowboard because it is on the glacier and there are a lot of crevasses. So far this year about 15 people have fallen down crevasses.

"We rescued another man last week who fell the same distance but he survived. It depends on how you fall and the type of crevasse it is."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The families of the men have been informed and are being offered consular support. We cannot release more details yet."