A French hiker died earlier today on the slopes of a mountain near the Kotayk village of Aghveran.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations reports that the individual, one of a group of five French hikers, had been buried under a snowslide and lost consciousness.

A rescue helicopter was dispatched to the scene, in the vicinity of the Artours Aghveran Resort.

The hiker was taken on board but died on the way to hospital.