Mountaineers struck by avalanche on Saturday while climbing near the Cima Vertana, in the Ortles mountains
Five German mountaineers have died after being hit by an avalanche in northern Italy, rescuers said.
The bodies of three victims – two men and a woman – were recovered on Saturday, while the bodies of two other missing people, a man and his 17-year-old daughter, were found on Sunday morning.
“They had been dragged to the lower part of the gully where the avalanche occurred,” said Federico Catania, an Alpine rescue spokesperson . “Rescue teams are now returning to the valley, also considering the worsening weather conditions at high altitude.”
The mountaineers were hit by the avalanche at about 4pm on Saturday while climbing near the Cima Vertana, in the Ortles mountains, at an altitude of more than 3,500 metres (11,500ft). It is unknown why the climbers were still on their way up at this relatively late hour, rescuers said.
