A judicial investigation for manslaughter has been opened in Lyon into the deaths of six legionnaires in an avalanche that occurred during training in Valfréjus (Savoie) in January 2016, according to a source close to the investigation this Wednesday.
The Albertville prosecutor’s office renounced jurisdiction in October in favor of the interregional jurisdiction of Lyon, responsible for military matters, which has been investigating the case since then.
On 18 January 2016, 51 soldiers of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (REG) of Saint-Christol (Vaucluse) were taking part in a ski mountaineering excursion when an avalanche swept away 18 of them: five legionnaires died instantly, a sixth a week later After .
A tragedy linked to an accident at work
The deceased, an Albanian, a Frenchman, an Italian, a Moldovan, a Nepalese and a Hungarian, were aged between 21 and 33. In January 2016, the Albertville Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the causes of the death and injuries. The Valfréjus case concerned an accident at work, the transmission to the military prosecutor’s office in Lyon had to be carried out in the event of the onset of a possible criminal offence.
The tragedy occurred when the avalanche risk was “significant” and the precipitation and wind had accumulated large quantities of snow in the valley crossed by the soldiers. Many mountain professionals then questioned the choice of this itinerary.
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