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Two British skiers have been killed by an avalanche on Mont Blanc in France.

Mountain rescuers found a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son dead under snow that hit a narrow gulley around Saint-Gervais, a resort near Chamonix, on Thursday afternoon.

Officials believe it may have been triggered by two ski tourers who were uphill of the British family, skiing in the Pirolettes couloir.

The mother and son had been skiing with three other family members and a freelance ski instructor, whom they had known for several years, the Bonneville Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Friday.

No one in the family was wearing an avalanche transceiver, which emits a silent signal that can be detected if buried under snow.

A major search and rescue operation was immediately launched, involving around 20 rescuers, two dog teams, a doctor and two helicopters.

The team rescued one other injured person, reportedly an instructor, and five further people.

A 31-year-old hiker was also killed on a separate slope.

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A foreign office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of two British people who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”

An investigation into manslaughter has been opened, and the cause of the avalanche is being investigated.

Saint-Gervais mayor Jean-Marc Peillex said weather conditions had been too unstable for such outings.

He told BFM television: “It rained, it snowed, it was warm. There are enough marked paths to ski on.

“It’s terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais.”

A Russian celebrity who sparked outrage by hosting a nightclub party with an “almost naked” dress code has been fined.

Anastasia Ivleeva, a TV presenter and influencer, put on the Christmastime do at the Mutabor venue in Moscow.

Given the country is on a war footing, the lavish event did not go down well with the public or authorities, with Vladimir Putin himself reportedly unamused.

Ivleeva was handed a 100,000-rouble (£870) fine during a court appearance in the Russian capital on Friday.

She had released two videos apologising for the party, one in which she tearfully pleaded for a “second chance”.

‘Moral damage’ lawsuit

They came after footage from the 20 December event showed her with an expensive chain around her backside, while other famous attendees also paraded around the dance floor.

Rapper Vacio, real name Nikolai Vasilyev, was seen with only a sock covering his modesty.

He has since been jailed for 15 days and fined 200,000 roubles.

According to Russian media, their antics were particularly unpopular with troops fighting in Ukraine.

A one-billion rouble lawsuit has been filed against Ivleeva from people who claim they suffered “moral damage” from seeing raunchy photos, and they want damages to be paid to a fund supporting Russian soldiers.

Citizens have been similarly outraged, given many are struggling with the wartime cost of living.

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While Mr Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the scandal, the Russian foreign ministry said those who took part had been “stained”.

It comes at a time when the president is doubling down on social conservatism ahead of March’s election.

He is expected to comfortably win another six-year term.