Photo: Reuters

At least four people have died in an avalanche at a ski resort in Tignes in eastern France, rescue services say, the BBC reports.

Nine people were buried by the snow after the avalanche swept through an off-piste area of the resort, which lies close to the Italian border.

Two people were pulled out alive, the rescuers said, while three remain unaccounted for.

The avalanche was reportedly 400 metres (1,300ft) wide and occurred at an altitude of 2,100 metres.

It struck during a particularly busy time for the resort, at the beginning of the half-term school holiday.