Five Germans killed in avalanche accident in South Tyrol

Five German mountaineers have died in an avalanche in South Tyrol. According to the Italian mountain rescue service, their group was caught in an avalanche during their ascent in the Ortler Alps.

According to reports, the avalanche struck around 4 p.m. at an altitude of approximately 3,200 meters below the Vertainspitze peak, where the groups were on their way up. The German climbers were traveling in three groups: one group of three and two groups of two.

The first group was completely buried: All three climbers were recovered dead on Saturday. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, they were two men and a woman between the ages of 30 and 50. They were on a ski tour. Two men, both 50 years old, survived the accident, said Olaf Reinstadler, spokesman for the Sulden mountain rescue service, to the German Press Agency (dpa) on Saturday evening. These two men had also raised the alarm.

Two other climbers had been missing; according to the mountain rescue service, they were a father and daughter. They had apparently fallen 200 meters. They too have now been recovered dead.

Rescue teams had already declared the previous evening that there was no hope of finding her alive. The mountain rescue service deployed a Pelikan 3 helicopter and several drones. The search was suspended due to darkness that evening and resumed on Sunday morning.

According to the mountain rescue service spokesperson, there was no particularly high avalanche risk on Saturday. The avalanche may have been triggered by heavy drifting snow, as the newly fallen snow had not yet bonded sufficiently to the underlying ground. According to current information, the three groups set off for the summit independently of each other that morning. Among mountaineers, the north face is considered a "high-alpine ice climb" requiring ropes and full ice climbing equipment.

The Vertainspitze, above Sulden, is a popular summit due to its panoramic views in all directions. South Tyrol is one of the most popular climbing areas among German tourists. The highest mountain in the region is the Ortler at 3905 meters.

This text is an updated version of an earlier version.