Five mountaineers die after avalanche in Italy

Five German mountaineers have died in an avalanche in northern Italy.

It hit around 4pm on Saturday near Cima Vertana, in the Ortles mountains, at an altitude of more than 3,500m (11,500ft).

Two men survived and were flown to hospital by helicopter.

The bodies of three of the victims - two men and a woman - were recovered on Saturday, while a man and his 17-year-old daughter were found on Sunday morning.

They were travelling independently of each other in three groups.

Rescuers said they didn't know why the climbers were still ascending at a relatively late hour.

"They had been dragged to the lower part of the gully where the avalanche occurred," said rescue spokesman Federico Catania.

"Rescue teams are now returning to the valley, also considering the worsening weather conditions at high altitude."

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Italy's South Tyrol is popular with German mountaineers - but avalanches are an ever-present risk.

The country has one of the higher 10-year average death tolls for avalanches among major ski nations, with off-piste and backcountry skiers and snowboarders often among the victims.

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