Five skiers, four of whom were from the same family, were found deceased following their disappearance during a ski trip in Switzerland, with a search still underway for a sixth missing individual, according to authorities.
The group vanished near the Tete Blanche mountain on the route from Zermatt to Arolla, close to the iconic Matterhorn, which is situated on the border of Switzerland and Italy.
Bad weather conditions and the risk of avalanches made the search difficult, but a team of rescuers eventually found five bodies, police said. The sixth missing person is still being sought.
Their bodies were located in the Tete Blanche area on Sunday, as confirmed by police on Monday. The skiers, whose ages ranged from 21 to 58, included individuals from the Valais region and one from Fribourg.
The identities of the deceased have not been disclosed by the police.
Zermatt is known worldwide as a premier destination for skiing and other mountain sports.
On a separate note, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said Switzerland would host a summit to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace vision, which could be presented to Russia at a later date.
Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan includes restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, withdrawing Russian troops, and releasing all prisoners of war.
Russia has said it is open to talks but that it would not accept any preconditions.
