Overview
- Italian mountain rescue confirmed five German mountaineers died, with three bodies recovered and two others considered dead though still missing.
- The climbers were ascending the Vertainspitze’s north face in two parties; the three in the first group were completely buried and did not survive.
- Two members of the second group survived and were flown to the valley, while the other two from that group remain unaccounted for.
- Rescuers said a sudden fracture of windblown snow on block ice at about 3,200 meters triggered the slide.
- A multi-agency response used helicopters, drones and mountain units, and officials have not yet released identities or confirmed whether the parties were on skis.