Three skiers killed, five injured in avalanche in Alps
Three skiers have been killed and five others injured in an avalanche in the northern Italian Alps, according to alpine rescuers.
The national mountain rescue corps confirmed the avalanche and said they skiers were off-piste when they were hit in Val Vény, a valley lying in the Mont Blanc area near Courmayeur.
Search and rescue teams, including sniffer dogs, continued to search for anyone else injured.
The avalanche risk in the region was put at three on a five-point scale on Thursday morning, thanks to fresh snowfall and strong wind.