Two bodies found after avalanche in Italian Alps

Italian mountain rescue teams found the bodies of two hikers after an avalanche on Sunday in the Alps close to the border with Switzerland.

One of the victims was found buried in snow while the body of the other was being recovered from a lake after the avalanche at a height of around 2,200 metres in the Val Formazza area in the Piedmont region, Alpine rescue group CNSAS said in a statement.

A specialist rescue team was sent to the scene by helicopter despite strong winds in the area after the alarm was raised around midday (1100 GMT). A dog trained in rescue operations also helped to find the bodies.

The victims, who had been wearing snowshoes to help navigate the mountain, have not been named.