Skier killed by avalanche: Two more deaths leave authorities puzzled!

By Christiane Oelrich

Chur (Switzerland) - In the Swiss canton of Graubünden, two Dutchmen have been swept away byavalanches and lost their lives. Both ski tourers were traveling with a mountain guide and were equipped with avalanche search devices and airbags, the police reported. The authorities in the canton of Valais are dealing with two further deaths.

Two men have been killed by an avalanche in Switzerland, two other men were found unconscious on ski slopes and later died in hospital. (symbolic photo)
Two men have been killed by an avalanche in Switzerland, two other men were found unconscious on ski slopes and later died in hospital. (symbolic photo)  © Maxime Schmid/Keystone/dpa

The Dutchmen, aged 31 and 35, were climbing the 2739-metre-high Sertig Pass with their mountain guide on Thursday when two avalanches broke loose in quick succession. One person was rescued, but the two Dutchmen were found dead.

In the canton of Valais, two skiers were found unconscious on ski slopes on both Wednesday and Thursday, with no evidence of accidents. Both were found by other skiers who alerted rescuers.

They were taken to hospital in Sion but died there, according to the cantonal police. The police are looking for witnesses to establish the circumstances.

The first case happened in the Zermatt ski area. The victim was a 25-year-old Argentinian. One day later, a 77-year-old Swiss man was found unconscious on the slopes in Saas Fee. The authorities did not provide any information about the injuries of the two.