Italian alpine rescue officials say five people have been killed in a midair collision between a small tourist airplane and a helicopter carrying skiers to a glacier in the northwestern region of Val d'Aosta.
Alpine rescue corps spokesman Walter Milan said the accident happened at an altitude of about 3,000 meters (9.843 feet) over the Rutor glacier on Friday afternoon. One person was hospitalized with serious injuries.
The dynamics of the crash remained unclear as rescue crews worked to remove the bodies. The identities and nationalities of the victims have not been released.
The Rutor glacier covers nine square kilometers (3 ½ square miles) and is the second-largest in the Val d'Aosta region, which borders France. The region's website says skiers frequently access it by helicopter during winter.
