Rome: Five German climbers have died after being hit by an avalanche in South Tyrol, northern Italy, rescuers say, including a man and his 17-year-old daughter.
Three victims, two men and a woman, had already been recovered dead on Saturday, while the father and daughter were found on Sunday morning (Italian time).
The site of the avalanche at the top of Cima Vertana, shown in a photograph released by the Italian Alpine and Speleological Rescue CorpsCredit: AP
“They had been dragged to the bottom of the ravine where the avalanche occurred,” said Alpine rescue services spokesman Federico Catania. “Rescue teams are now returning to the valley, also considering the worsening weather conditions at high altitude.”
The climbers were hit by the avalanche around 4pm on Saturday (2am Sunday AEDT) while ascending near Cima Vertana in the Ortles Mountains, at more than 3,500 meters above sea level. It is unknown why the climbers were still climbing at this relatively late hour, rescuers said.
According to first information, the climbers were in three groups and were traveling independently of each other. Two men survived the accident and were taken by helicopter to a hospital in the nearby city of Bolzano.
A search and rescue helicopter was dispatched to find the missing climbers.Credit: AP
South Tyrol is a popular mountaineering region among German tourists. The highest peak in the region is Ortles, at 3,905 meters.
Avalanches are a persistent problem in the Italian Alps, with the country recording one of the highest 10-year annual death averages among major ski countries. The victims are usually mountain skiers or freeriders.
Some analyzes suggest that the number of accidents has increased in recent years, possibly because more people head to more isolated areas immediately after a new snowfall.
