Five German climbers, including a 17-year-old girl and her father, have died after being swept away by an avalanche in the Italian Alps near the Swiss border, rescue officials confirmed on Sunday.
The avalanche struck on Saturday afternoon at about 4pm local time as the climbers were ascending Cima Vertana, a peak in the Ortler mountain range at an altitude of more than 3,500 metres. They were using crampons and ice axes and were believed to be just a few hundred metres from the summit when the snow cascaded down.
According to Italy's alpine rescue services, three climbers in one group were completely buried and their bodies were recovered on Saturday. Two others, a man and his 17-year-old daughter, fell approximately 200 metres and remained missing until Sunday morning, when their bodies were found using helicopters, drones and thermal imaging.
Two climbers who were ahead of the others managed to escape the avalanche and raised the alarm. They were taken to a hospital in Bolzano for treatment for shock. Rescuers said the avalanche risk had not been high on Saturday, but the incident may have been triggered by sudden wind or a snowdrift.
Federico Catania, an Alpine rescue spokesperson, told the Associated Press that the father and daughter were dragged to the lower part of the gully where the avalanche occurred. The search was complicated by worsening weather conditions at high altitude.
Avalanches are a persistent hazard in the Italian Alps, with the average 10-year death toll higher than in most other major ski nations. The number of accidents has increased in recent years, possibly due to more people venturing into back-country areas after fresh snowfall.
