The incident comes just a day after the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort opened to the public following the conclusion of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Six skiers were on the middle section of the Labirint run - labelled as a black run - when the avalanche struck, burying two women.

Rescuers who dug them out were unable to save them, but the other four skiers escaped unharmed.

The resort said it is now clearing the snow from the run and trying to determine the cause of the avalanche.

Officials also passed on their condolences to the family and friends of the two skiers who died.

Avalanche studies of the area conducted in 2008 after Sochi was awarded the Olympics and Paralympics found that conditions for avalanches were nearly perfect.

Bode Miller said Marco Sullivan (pictured) almost killed himself when he narrowly avoided a crash at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort ©AFP/Getty Images


As a result, the resort has a dedicated avalanche prevention team and work has been carried out to reshape the mountainsides to steer avalanches away from buildings, lifts, ski runs and people.

Meanwhile, six-time Olympic medallist Bode Miller of the United States warned during Sochi 2014 that the Rosa Khutor downhill piste "could kill" after he hit speeds of 82.4 miles per hour in final training and watched team-mate Marco Sullivan narrowly escape a crash.

"He almost just killed himself," Miller said at the beginning of February.

"If that crash doesn't go just the way it went, he goes flying through nets going 75 [mph] straight into the trees.

"If you're not totally focused, and paying attention, this course will kill you."

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