An avalanche in Italy's South Tyrol region has claimed the lives of two skiers, the country's mountain rescue service confirmed. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday in high alpine terrain.
The deadly slide took place at approximately 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) on the slopes of the 2,669-meter (8,757-foot) Hohe Ferse, also known as Monte Tallone Grande. This area is situated near the town of Ratschings, close to the Austrian border.
According to the CNSAS rescue service's Bolzano emergency center, a total of 25 skiers were caught in the avalanche. In addition to the two fatalities, three individuals sustained serious injuries, while another two suffered minor injuries.
The avalanche struck at 11:40 a.m. local time (1040 GMT). A large-scale rescue operation was immediately launched, involving six helicopters and around 80 rescuers from CNSAS, the Alpine Association, police and firefighters, as reported by Italian news agency ANSA.
This season has seen an unusually high number of deaths from avalanches. European Avalanche Warning Services reports on its website avalanches.org that fatalities average 100 per season. As of March 16, reported deaths this season starting Oct. 1 were at 127, including 33 in Italy, 31 in France and 29 in Austria.
In early February, just as Italy was hosting the Winter Olympics, a record 13 skiers had died on the slopes during one week, including 10 in avalanches.
Experts attributed the deaths to an exceptionally unstable snowpack and the rush of skiing enthusiasts to off-piste slopes after recent heavy snowstorms.
Climate experts have argued that snow instability is due to rising temperatures and stronger winds.
