Kosovo PM reports vice minister killed by ski area avalanche

PRISTINA, Kosovo – Kosovo’s prime minister says an avalanche has killed a senior Cabinet official while he was skiing in a southern resort.

Ramush Haradinaj wrote Saturday on Facebook that Deputy Minister of Diaspora Arian Daci was killed and Daci’s friend was injured at the Brezovica resort area, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Pristina.

Haradinaj sent condolences to Daci’s father, former Parliament Speaker Nexhat Daci.

Ilir Morina of the Environmental Protection Agency wrote on Facebook that the skiers were outside designated ski runs, when they were hit by two avalanches.

Morina says agency workers found one dead and helped save the injured one.

Kosovo has had extremely cold weather in the last month.