Five Czech hikers killed in avalanche

Five Czech hikers and one Slovak were killed in an avalanche near the ski resort of Soelden in the Austrian Alps at the weekend. Witnesses spotted the accident and alerted rescuers but they could not reach the scene until Sunday due to poor weather. A police official said rescuers had retrieved the bodies of six climbers who had been ascending the 3,500-metre peak in an isolated region southwest of Innsbruck. The only survivor was the seventh member of the group who had opted to remain behind in a hut as he was not feeling well.