Man, 27, died after avalanche at resort - inquest

A 27-year-old man died after he was buried by an avalanche at a French Alps ski resort, an inquest heard.

Joshua Byers, from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, was near the roadside in Val Thorens when he was swept up and carried 15 metres (50ft) by snow on 17 April.

Mr Byers was taken to hospital in Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, and died later that evening.

An inquest into Mr Byers' death, which opened at Northallerton Coroner's Court on Monday, was told the provisional cause of death was asphyxia.

Heavy snow had hit the Alps in the days prior to Mr Byers' death, with the weather impacting local power supplies and road and rail travel.

Coroner Jon Heath adjourned the inquest to a future date at the same venue.

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