ROME: At least five German climbers were killed after being caught in avalanches in Italy’s northern South Tyrol province, authorities confirmed on Monday.
According to British media reports, the bodies of all five victims have been recovered in two separate incidents.
Rescue officials said one of the victims was a female mountaineer, whose father also died in the same accident.
Reports indicate that the climbers were traveling in separate groups when disaster struck. One group of three climbers was completely swept away by the avalanche, leaving no survivors.
Those who managed to escape immediately raised the alarm, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation in the snow-covered Alpine region.