Five German mountaineers died in an avalanche in South Tyrol's Ortlergebirge. Three bodies were recovered on Saturday, with two missing presumed dead according to mountain rescue. The search was halted due to darkness and will resume Sunday.
The accident occurred on Saturday shortly before 4 p.m. in the north face below Vertainspitze at around 3,200 meters. The climbers were ascending the 3,545-meter peak in the Ortlergebirge when hit by the avalanche. According to Italian mountain rescue, the Germans were in several groups—reports mention one trio and two pairs, or a trio and a quartet.
Three victims from the trio, two men and a woman aged 30 to 50, were recovered dead and brought to the valley. Two more, a woman and a man, remain missing and are presumed dead. Two 50-year-old men survived and raised the alarm, said Olaf Reinstadler, spokesperson for Sulden mountain rescue, to the German Press Agency. The groups had set out independently that morning; the north face is a high-alpine ice tour requiring ropes and ice-climbing gear.
Avalanche danger was not high on Saturday, possibly triggered by wind-blown snow not yet bonded to the base. Rescue teams deployed helicopters, drones, and thermal cameras; involved were mountain rescue, finance police, and fire department. No other climbers were in the area.
South Tyrol is popular with German tourists, with Ortler at 3,905 meters as the region's highest peak. Vertainspitze is frequented for its panoramic views. Reports slightly vary on exact group composition.