Avalanche Deaths In Switzerland Up 50% This Winter 6th April 2021 It’s been a deadly winter season, with significantly more people killed than the average figure in the last 20-year period. The majority of victims were off-piste skiers or snowboarders. NEW Shares The grim statistics come in a report by the Swiss Institute for Snow & Avalanche Research (SLF) and cover the period from 1st October 2020 to 30th March 2021. They show that 27 people have died in avalanches and one person is still missing. This compares to the average of 18 deaths to the end of March over a period of 20 years, a rise of 50%.