Five found dead on Swiss mountain likely hit by avalanche: police

Rescuers discovered the bodies on the Adler Glacier on Sunday, a day after climbers alerted the authorities about abandoned skis near the summit.

Local police said preliminary findings indicated that the five left the Britannia hut in the Saas-Fee region at about 4:30 am (0330 GMT) on Saturday.

The party intended to climb the Rimpfischhorn, a 4,199-metre (13,776-foot) mountain east of Zermatt near the Italian border, which is popular with backcountry skiers.

"After leaving their skis, they continued their ascent on foot towards the summit. They may then have been swept away by an avalanche," a statement read.

Three of the victims have been identified -- two men aged 38 and 35 and a 34-year-old woman. All of them were Swiss nationals.

Separately, on Sunday a 29-year-old Swiss climber was killed in an avalanche on the Morgenhorn in the Bern canton. Two other climbers were rescued and taken to hospital with slight injuries, police said.

Outdoor sports are a popular pastime in mountainous Switzerland and accidents are a regular feature of winter.

During the current winter season, between October 1, 2024 and May 17, 2025, 15 people have been killed in avalanches in the country, according to the Institute for the Study of Snow and Avalanches.

In March 2024, six backcountry skiers died -- five of them members of the same family -- after being caught in a violent storm in the peaks near Zermatt.