Swiss Avalanche kills 21 year old snowboarding champion

London: A 21-year-old Swiss snowboarding champion died after being struck by an avalanche early on Tuesday morning, police said.

Valais state police said in a statement that Estelle Balet died at the scene despite immediate efforts were made by the rescuers to revive her, the Guardian reported.

The police added that they have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

The incident happened when the athlete was filming above Orsieres, a village near Switzerland's southern border with France and Italy.

Balet was recently crowned as the youngest champion of the Freeride World Tour.