German mother, daughter killed in Italy avalanche

ROME, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- A German woman and her 11-year-old daughter were killed in an avalanche while skiing in Italy's northern Trentino-Alto Adige region bordering Austria, local media reported Wednesday.

The avalanche occurred after a period of intense snowfall, which has prompted the weather service to put out a level-three avalanche warning on a scale of one to five.

The 100-meter-wide avalanche took place at an altitude of 2,100 meters in the Belpiano-Malga San Valentino ski resort in the Venosta Valley, public broadcaster RAI TV reported.

"Venosta Valley avalanche. Unfortunately a second person has also died. She is the mother of the 11-year-old girl who was engulfed and killed," the Alpine Rescue Services said on its Twitter account.

The two victims had been skiing on a piste with another seven holidaymakers, who were rescued alive in what the Alpine Rescue Services described on Twitter as "prohibitive climate conditions" that made it impossible for them to be reached by a helicopter at first.

Because of high winds, reduced visibility and risks of further avalanches, rescuers initially reached the Germans in distress on skis. The rescue operation continued with helicopters using night vision equipment, according to the rescue services.

They managed to dig the 45-year-old woman and her child out, but the little girl died on the spot and her mother died shortly after in hospital, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The group reportedly came from the southwestern German city of Ludwigsburg. The seven survivors, all members of the same skiing club, narrowly escaped being buried by the avalanche, a police spokesman told German news agency DPA. Enditem