Five found dead on Swiss mountain likely hit by avalanche

GENEVA: Five people whose bodies were found in the mountains near Switzerland´s luxury resort of Zermatt could have been swept away by an avalanche, police said on Monday.

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 mountain east of Zermatt near the Italian border, which is popular with backcountry skiers.