(RepublicanDaily.org) – Five people skiing in the Swiss Alps have been found dead, with another still missing.
The five were previously reported missing, and were reportedly all Swiss nationals, with ages ranging from 21 to 58 years old. The group began their excursion in Zermatt, a popular start-off point for skiers, which also houses the famous Matterhorn mountain. The group, which also reportedly included five members from the same family, were on a ski tour that would end in Arolla, which lies along the border of Switzerland and Italy. They were reported missing close to the Tete Blanche mountain, which is more than 3,700 meters (more than 12,000 feet) above sea level. The mountain was also where the bodies of the five skiers were found, Reuters reported.
The identities of the victims have not been released to the public as of press time, but police said that the family was from the Valais canton while the sixth hails from the Fribourg canton. Authorities are also still searching for the sixth person in the group.
Police say that they were able to locate the bodies despite poor weather conditions after one of the victims managed to get a phone call through, allowing rescuers to pinpoint an approximate location. Anjan Truffer, a mountain guide, told SRF a Swiss local news outlet, that the rescuers had to dig the bodies out of the snow.
Rescue teams have been hampered by snow storms, strong winds and avalanches, which has also decreased the prospects that the remaining skier will be found alive. Rescuers have described the weather conditions in the Swiss Alps at the moment as “catastrophic.”
Still, police say that their “priority is to find that sixth person,” but also cautioned the public to be “realistic” as well given the conditions on the mountain.
Rescue teams were comprised of officers from the Cantonal Police, the Swiss Air Force, as well as members of the Rescue Organization for the Canton of Valais (OCVS).
Copyright 2024, RepublicanDaily.org
