Five climbers were tragically killed in an avalanche in the Italian Alps while ascending Cima Vertana in the Ortler mountain range near the village of Solda, South Tyrol, Italy.
Among the victims were a father and his 17-year-old daughter. The avalanche occurred at about 4 pm on Saturday. Two separate climbing groups were said to be involved in this ordeal.
One group of three climbers was fully engulfed by the snow slide and died. Another group of four included the father and daughter, two of whom passed away, while two survived and were airlifted to the hospital.
Rescue teams noted that low stability, fog, and challenging terrain delayed helicopter assistance until the next day.
One spokesperson mentioned that the father and daughter duo were dragged to the lower part of the gully where the avalanche took place. Authorities are currently investigating why those climbers were still ascending so late in the day. As that increased risk is given, the changing weather and daylight conditions are considered.
The region is famous for mountaineering but also for avalanche risk, especially when fresh snow layers are weakly bonded to underlying ice.