Alpine tragedy as 5 mountaineers discovered useless after being hit by an avalanche in northern Italy

Five hikers have been found dead after they were swallowed by a deadly avalanche in the Italian Alps. 

The bodies of two men and one 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 in South Tyrol, northern Italy. 

All five victims were German nationals.

An Alpine rescue spokesperson said the mountaineers were struck by the avalanche at about 4pm on Saturday while climbing near Cima Vertana, in the Ortles mountains, at an altitude of more than 11,500 ft. 

It is unknown why the climbers were still on their way up at this relatively late hour, rescuers said. 

According to initial information, the climbers were in three groups and were traveling independently of each other when the cascade of snow and ice swept them away.

Two men survived the accident and were taken by helicopter to a hospital in the near city of Bolzano.

South Tyrol is a popular region for mountaineering among tourists from Germany. The region’s highest peak is Ortles, which rises to nearly 13,000 ft.

Five German mountaineers have died after being hit by an avalanche in northern Italy

A mountain rescue helicopter flies in front of the snow-covered Ortler mountains in search of missing mountaineers after an avalanche struck 

Two men survived the accident and were taken by helicopter to a hospital in the near city of Bolzano. This photo released by the Italian Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps on Sunday shows the site where the five mountaineers were struck by the avalanche on Saturday

Avalanche accidents are a persistent issue in the Italian Alps, with the country registering one of the higher 10-year average annual death tolls among major ski nations. 

Victims are frequently ski mountaineers or free-riders.

Some analysis suggests that the number of accidents has increased in recent years possibly due to more people heading to back-country areas immediately after fresh snowfall.

Earlier this year, a British man was swept to his death in an avalanche at the top of a French ski resort following a huge snow storm. 

The 27-year-old was found buried under the snow at the entrance to the resort of Val Thorens in April. 

Emergency services rushed him to Grenoble Hospital where he was declared dead the following day.