Five German mountaineers lost their lives in a tragic avalanche incident in northern Italy, as confirmed by rescuers on Sunday. The grim discovery included the bodies of three individuals, comprising two men and a woman, found on Saturday. Additionally, a man and his 17-year-old daughter, who were reported missing, were located on Sunday morning in South Tyrol.
The avalanche struck the mountaineers around 4pm on Saturday while they were climbing near the Cima Vertana in the Ortler mountains, situated at an elevation exceeding 3,500 meters (11,500 feet). The group was segmented into three smaller parties and not traveling together, with two men managing to survive the avalanche and subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Bolzano.
Due to adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, helicopter operations were initially delayed on Sunday morning. However, as conditions improved, rescue teams and canine units were transported to an altitude of 2,600 meters for the search and recovery mission.
According to a statement on the Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Facebook page, the tragic incident involved two groups of German climbers caught in the avalanche, resulting in the loss of three lives from the first group and leaving two members of the second group missing.
Olaf Reinstadler, representing the Sulden Mountain Rescue Service, expressed that the avalanche might have been triggered by recent snow drifts that had not properly adhered to the underlying ice.
The rescue efforts and investigations into the avalanche incident are ongoing, with updates expected. For the latest news developments, visit the Mirror’s homepage.
