5 German climbers are killed by avalanche in Italian Alps
Five German mountaineers were killed Saturday when an early-season avalanche struck the Alps in northern Italy, the Italian Alpine rescue organization said.
The climbers were part of two separate groups ascending near the Cima Vertana, one of the highest mountains in the eastern Alps, when they were swept away by an avalanche Saturday evening, said Federico Catania, a spokesperson for the rescue organization, which is known as CNSAS, its Italian abbreviation.
Avalanche accidents have been an ongoing issue in the Alps of Italy, where the country has one of the higher 10-year average annual death tolls among ski nations, according to the Associated Press. Avalanches in the Alps can take place at any time of year with the right snow and weather conditions, Catania said.
He added that the most active periods are generally November and December as snow first accumulates on unfrozen or uneven ground, leading to unstable layers. Other busy periods, he said, are January and February and spring from March to May, when higher temperatures and solar radiation can cause wet snow avalanches.
Three climbers in one group were confirmed dead Saturday evening, Catania said in an email. The other group consisted of four climbers, two of whom survived. The other two, a man and his 17-year-old daughter, were found dead in a gully Sunday.
Rescuers deployed almost immediately after the avalanche struck but faced challenging conditions as they worked to recover the climbers, Catania said, and they paused the search overnight.
Darkness and fog prevented helicopters from flying in the area early Sunday, he said. Teams of rescuers and avalanche dogs were eventually dropped at altitude Sunday after conditions cleared, and they continued the search on foot.
The teams were working to recover and transport the bodies of the father and daughter Sunday amid difficult weather, Catania said.
About 100 people die in avalanches each winter season in the Alps and in the Italian Alps, according to a 2024 study from the International Snow Science Workshop.