This photograph launched by the Italian Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, rescuers put together for rescue operations with a helicopter seeking 5 mountaineers, all German, who have been hit by an avalanche Saturday afternoon, Nov. 1, 2025, whereas climbing the Cima Vertana, within the Ortler mountains in Solda, Italy.
Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/AP/Third Celebration
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Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/AP/Third Celebration
ROME — 5 German mountaineers died after being hit by an avalanche in South Tyrol, in northern Italy, rescuers mentioned on Sunday.
Three victims — two males and a girl — had already been recovered useless on Saturday, whereas the our bodies of two different lacking folks, a person and his 17-year-old daughter, have been discovered on Sunday morning.
“They had been dragged to the lower part of the gully where the avalanche occurred,” mentioned Alpine rescue spokesman Federico Catania. “Rescue teams are now returning to the valley, also considering the worsening weather conditions at high altitude.”
The mountaineers, all Germans, have been hit by the avalanche at about 4 p.m. on Saturday whereas climbing close to the Cima Vertana, within the Ortles mountains, at an altitude of greater than 3,500 meters (11,500 toes). It’s unknown why the climbers have been nonetheless on their approach up at this comparatively late hour, rescuers mentioned.
In response to preliminary data, the climbers have been in three teams and have been touring independently of one another. Two males survived the accident and have been taken by helicopter to a hospital within the close to metropolis of Bolzano.
South Tyrol is a well-liked area for mountaineering amongst vacationers from Germany. The area’s highest peak is Ortles, which rises to three,905 meters.
Avalanche accidents are a persistent challenge within the Italian Alps, with the nation registering one of many greater 10-year common annual demise tolls amongst main ski nations. Victims are regularly ski mountaineers or freeriders.
Some evaluation means that the variety of accidents has elevated lately presumably attributable to extra folks heading to backcountry areas instantly after recent snowfall.
