Three dead and one slightly injured in avalanche in north of Spain

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The deceased were part of a group of six people cross-country skiing in the Aragonese Pyrenees, two of whom escaped unharmed

Doménico Chiappe

Madrid

Monday, 29 December 2025, 17:40

Two men and a woman from the Basque Country have died after being hit by an avalanche near the Panticosa Spa in the Aragonese Pyrenees. Another woman was found suffering from hypothermia and two other people escaped unharmed. The snow avalanche surprised the group o who were cross-country skiing.

The avalanche happened on the west face of Pico Tablato, at an altitude of 2,700 metres, in the Balneario de Panticosa area, very close to the Brazatos lakes, where the winter sport skiing is practised.

The alarm was raised at approximately 1pm, when a call was received by 112 Aragón emergency service control room. A Guardia Civil mountain rescue unit was swiftly mobilised.

On arrival at the scene, the rescuers began searching for the four missing members of the group. Two of them were initially found dead along with one woman who was suffering from hypothermia. As the search continued, a fourth body was also reported to have been found.

The other two skiers, who were unharmed, had made their own way out.

According to Spain's state weather agency (Aemet), the avalanche risk in the Aragonese Pyrenees is currently at level 2 (on a scale of 5) in all the massifs. Snow is still present at low altitudes, but its distribution is irregular and is conditioned by the action of the wind. In its observation network, thicknesses are around 5-15 cm at 1,300-1,500 metres, and increase as one ascends, so that at around 2,100 metres they reach 60-80 cm, values that can be considerably higher in the high mountains.

The president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, and the government delegate, Fernando Beltrán Blazquez, have cancelled their agendas to go to the Pyrenean town.