Two people died in an avalanche in the Italian Alps 0 9

In the Aosta Valley, rescuers retrieved the body of a 31-year-old man from under the snow.

Shortly after, another man of approximately the same age died, while a 35-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Turin in critical condition.

Searches for other possible victims are ongoing.

The avalanche occurred around 11 o'clock above Courmayeur, where a group was skiing off-piste, Italian media report.

Some reports indicate that up to six skiers may have been caught under the snow.

According to the mountain rescue service, it is believed that the deceased are citizens of France.

This area is often used for deep snow skiing. At the time of the incident, the risk of avalanches was not considered particularly high.

Another avalanche occurred on Sunday in Trentino, a northern region of Italy.

The rescue service reported that skiers were able to independently extract a person from under the snow.