The Col du Glandon, near Saint Colomban Des Villards, a mountain pass in the Dauphine Alps in Savoie – Copyright JEFF PACHOUD / AF
The prefecture of the Savoie department, in eastern France, said in a statement on Wednesday that the helicopter crashed at an altitude of 1,800m in the late afternoon.
It added that those who died were two first-aid workers from CRS Alpes, including the team leader, as well as three employees of the Service Aérien Francais (SAF), a private company.
uthorities were alerted about the crash shortly after 19:00 CET.
A 40-person-strong search and rescue team, as well as three helicopters, were deployed to find the six people but the operation was hampered by thick fog, which prevented the helicopters from getting close to the crash site.
“A doctor and a rescue team arrived at the zone at 20:20. Contact was established with one of the vehicle’s occupants,” the prefecture said on Tuesday evening.
An emergency centre has been set up at a hospital in Albertville offering medical and psychological support.
In the latest statement, the prefect of Savoie, Pascal Bolot, addressed his sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims, paying tribute to “these men who dedicated their lives to the service of those of others”.