A ski trip ended tragically for British student Poonam Bhattal, who hit her head against a cement pilon when she fell from a chairlift in the Claviere resort on the border between Italy and France, The Telegraph reported.
It was not immediately clear why the safety bar on the chairlift was not in place across Bhattal's lap.
Bhattal was a student at Guru Nanak Sikh Academy in Hayes, West London -- among a group of students and teachers who got on the chairlift to head up the mountain.
Italian officials told The Telegraph that the impact of Bhattal's fall sent her into cardiac arrest, causing her to die in an ambulance bound for a hospital in the town of Susa.
The chairlift was immediately stopped when the accident happened -- and soldiers from a local mountain warfare unit, the Taurinense Brigade, arrived, followed by ski guides with first aid knowledge.
Police have been speaking to Bhattal's classmates and teachers to piece together how the incident happened.
The academy told The Telegraph that everyone on the half-term trip was "devastated" by the death of "an absolutely lovely student."
Bhattal's parents were away from home for a few days when the school's principal told them about the loss of their daughter over the phone.
The vice principal in charge of the trip was said to have "vast experience," as he led 28 similar trips throughout his teaching career. He was described by the school as "obsessive about safety and security on these trips." Two assistant head teachers and a team of eight staff accompanied him.
The academy issued a statement about the incident to The Telegraph:
"At approximately 10am this morning we were informed from the leader of the trip that following a tragic accident, one of our students had died on the annual ski trip in Italy.
"The principal and the other vice principal went to the parental home just after 11am.
"It transpired that the parents were away from home for a few days. The principal contacted the family by telephone to ensure that they heard the tragic news from him personally.
"There have subsequently been several other direct conversations with the family and the principal.
"The leader of this trip and everyone associated with it is devastated by the death of an absolutely lovely student.
"The school is doing everything possible to support the family in any way possible.
"Our thoughts are with the family and all others in the community affected by this tragedy."
Staff did not comment further in the statement, "given that there must be no prejudice to the very thorough investigation that will take place by Italian authorities."
This incident followed another ski accident on Feb. 10 when British schoolgirl Jemima Prees, 10, was killed when she hit a tree at high speed in Mayrhofen, an Austrian resort.
Elsewhere in the world, this week was tragic for skiers. Another skier was killed in British Columbia on Friday after being caught in an avalanche in a remote area near a mountain ski resort, Canadian police told Reuters.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
