UPDATED 4.51PM: A New Zealander is among six skiers killed in an avalanche in the French Alps.

Carol Nash and the other skiers were found yesterday after being swept away by the avalanche on Saturday.

The New Zealand Embassy in Paris has confirmed the death with local French authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is in contact Ms Nash's family, who have requested privacy.

The group had been trekking the Queyras mountain range when they were swept to their death.

A British man and a French woman were also killed in the Alps on Friday.

Alpine Safety spokesman Andrew Hobman says there's always an avalanche danger outside the ski area boundary.

"Unfortunately the French have quite high statistics - I think it's 20 people a year die from avalanches," he says.

"Those have been skewed quite heavily due to villages being overrun and lots of people dying in their houses rather than just skiing."