FIVE dead skiers have been found by rescuers near a luxury holiday resort in Switzerland.
Their bodies were located one day after emergency services were alerted – due to several pairs of skis being found unattended near the summit of a mountain.
AFPRescuers were alerted after a pair of unattended skis were found near the summit of Rimpfischhorn, Switzerland[/caption]
A group of climbers ascending the 4,199-metre-tall Rimpfischhorn in the Valais Alps alerted authorities when they made the worrying discovery.
The mountain is near the luxury holiday resort of Zermatt.
Extensive aerial and ground searches led to the discovery of tragic skiers below the summit on the Adler Glacier, according to Valais local police.
They were all found at different points of the glacier, on top of avalanche debris.
These points were all high altitude areas near the Swiss-Italian border.
Rescue service Air Zermatt said that three bodies were located in one area, while the other two were discovered higher up on a narrow patch of snow.
A fifth pair of skis was later found during the search, which confirmed that the group had travelled as a party of five.
Local cops have launched a probe to try and figure out what caused the horrific accident.
Zermatt is one of the most luxurious resorts in Switzerland‘s Alpine region.
It is frequented by affluent British and other European skiers.
However, the climb to Rimpfischhorn is considered a more advanced expedition.
It takes a total of five gruelling hours to reach the top from the resort.
There are numerous ways to approach to the climb, but all of them require hikers to stay overnight in a high hut.
From Zermatt, ambitious travellers usually take lifts to Blauherd at 2570 meters first.
It comes after a young Brit was found dead at the foot of a cliff at a popular ski resort in the French Alps.
The lifeless body of the 23-year-old was found in Avoriaz, which sits on a shelf above the town of Morzine.
It was understood the man had been skiing with pals before partying at popular apres ski spot La Folie Douce in Avoriaz.
It’s thought he then decided to ski down the mountainside alone and got lost.
Friends raised the alarm when he didn’t return to his accommodation.
Search and rescue teams scoured the area for the Brit before discovering his body the following day.
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