BERLIN: Swiss police said three skiers have been killed in an avalanche in the Alps and two others have been taken to a hospital with light injuries.

Police in Valais canton said the avalanche hit the group of five skiers on Saturday afternoon. The group had set off from an Alpine hut earlier in the day to cross the famed Aletsch Glacier in southern Switzerland to the Fiescheralp area.

Another group saw the avalanche and alerted rescuers, who recovered two of the skiers alive on Saturday evening and found the bodies of the other three. Police said the victims were Spanish citizens.

Police said Sunday that the rescue operation was “extremely difficult” because of the weather conditions and poor visibility.</s>GENEVA: Four skiers and two climbers were confirmed dead on Monday and five others were in critical condition after being forced to spend the night exposed to the elements in the Swiss Alps, police said.

Bad weather in the Pigne d'Arolla area of the Swiss Alps on Sunday caught 14 skiers by surprise, police in Valais canton said in a statement.

The manager of a rest-stop in the remote mountain region sent out a call for help at dawn on Monday, triggering a major relief operation that involved seven helicopters, police said.

"Four people lost their lives, five others are in a critical state," the statement said.

Police indicated that one of those killed "likely" died from a fall and was found dead at the scene, while three others died later in hospital.

The victims were Italian, French and German nationals, police said, adding that efforts were under way to formally identify them and contact their families.

Some others were merely suffering from "mild hypothermia", according to police.

The group had set out from the Dix rest-stop and had intended to make it to Vignettes to sleep, trekking along a route called The Serpentine.

Police said separately that the bodies of two climbers, aged 21 and 22, were found further east Monday after the alert was sounded late Sunday but the bad weather foiled rescue efforts.

The fatal accidents were the latest in a series affecting skiers in Switzerland in recent weeks.

German retail billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub went missing after skiing solo in the Swiss Alps earlier this month.

The body of the 58-year-old boss of Germany's sprawling Tengelmann retail group has not yet been found but authorities have given up hope of discovering him alive.

Haub had reportedly set off from a lift at the Klein Matterhorn.

Separately, three Spanish cross-country skiers died after being engulfed by an avalanche that hit the Fiescheralp area of the Swiss Alps on March 31.</s>Four skiers were confirmed dead on Monday and five others were in critical condition after being forced to spend the night exposed to the elements in the Swiss Alps, police said.

Bad weather in the Pigne d'Arolla area of the Swiss Alps on Sunday caught a group 14 skiers by surprise, police in Valais canton said in a statement.

The manager of a mountain refuge in the remote mountain region sent out a call for help at dawn on Monday, triggering a major relief operation that involved seven helicopters, police said.

"Four people lost their lives, five others are in a critical state," the statement said.

Police indicated that one of those killed "likely" died from a fall and was found dead at the scene, while three others died later in hospital.

Some of those not described as being in critical condition are suffering from "mild hypothermia" but their "lives are not in danger," according to police.

The skiers were Italian, French and German nationals, police said, adding that efforts were under way to formally identify them and contact their families.

The group had set out from the Dix rest-stop and had intended to make it to the Cabanne de Vignettes refuge to sleep, trekking along a route called The Serpentine.

The fatal accident was the latest in a series affecting skiers in Switzerland in recent weeks.

German retail billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub went missing after skiing solo in the Swiss Alps earlier this month.

The body of the 58-year-old boss of Germany's sprawling Tengelmann retail group has not yet been found but authorities have given up hope of discovering him alive.

Haub had reportedly set off from a lift at the Klein Matterhorn.

Separately, three Spanish ski tourers died after being engulfed by an avalanche that hit the Fiescheralp area of the Swiss Alps on March 31st.</s>Four climbers have died and another five are in a critical condition after they became trapped overnight on the Swiss Alps during an unexpected storm.

Police in Valais in south-western Switzerland said seven helicopters were used to rescue 14 hikers from France, Germany and Italy in the Pigne d'Arolla region.

Valais police spokesman Markus Rieder said the climbers were caught off-guard by high winds and snow and were forced to spend the night outdoors.

Several of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia, with three dying in hospital. A fourth climber was reportedly killed in a fall.

Police said the group had been trying to reach the Vignettes hikers hut at 10,357ft (3,157m) in the Alps.</s>Four climbers have died and another five are in a critical condition after they became trapped overnight on the Swiss Alps during an unexpected storm.

Four climbers have died and another five are in a critical condition after they became trapped overnight on the Swiss Alps during an unexpected storm.

Four climbers die after night trapped on Swiss Alps

Police in Valais in south-western Switzerland said seven helicopters were used to rescue 14 hikers from France, Germany and Italy in the Pigne d’Arolla region.

Valais police spokesman Markus Rieder said the climbers were caught off-guard by high winds and snow and were forced to spend the night outdoors. Several of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia, with three dying in hospital. A fourth climber was reportedly killed in a fall.

Police said the group had been trying to reach the Vignettes hikers hut at 10,357ft (3,157m) in the Alps. Europe has suffered turbulent weather over the past few weeks, with unseasonable spells of hot and cold.

In Germany, firefighters pumped rainwater from basements and cleared flooded road tunnels after a storm swept through parts of the west overnight. The Aachen region was hardest hit, with rescue services receiving hundreds of calls. Police said nobody was harmed.</s>Take a spin around Boston on a Hubway for free, thanks to Switzerland. Photo: Hubway

May 1st marks the start of National Bike Month, and you can take a rideshare out for a spin for free, thanks to Switzerland.

Yup, the European country is trying to get more Americans to bike. Switzerland Tourism has partnered with Motivate, the company behind bike share systems like Citi Bike, Hubway and more, to bring free bike share rides to four metro areas.

From now until the end of May, people in Boston, New York and Jersey City, as well as Chicago and the San Francisco Bay area can take a spin on the bike shares in their cities.

The partnership is meant to show people how “convenient, fast and fun cycling can be,” according to Switzerland Tourism.

Anyone can send their friends and family an e-postcard through the Switzerland Tourism website at myswitzerland.com/bikes that contains free ride codes for any of the bike share systems.

Receiving a postcard also gets you a sweepstakes entry where you could win a trip to Switzerland, and representatives of Switzerland Tourism will also be passing out Swiss chocolate and cheese from Motivate tricycles a few times in each city.

Jay Walder, president and CEO of Motivate, said in a statement that “bike share is one of the best ways to explore a city,” and that’s really the motivation behind this promo. Switzerland Tourism hopes to attract some American tourists who want to explore the city on two wheels.

“Switzerland isn’t just about skiing and hiking in the Alps,” said Alex Herrmann, director of North America Switzerland Tourism, in a statement. “Switzerland offers 5,600 miles of cycling routes and 2,800 miles of mountain biking trails as part of a program called SwitzerlandMobility. Cyclists can also enjoy a group of Swiss hotels specializing in hosting travelers with bicycles. For any bike rider looking for their next vacation, Switzerland’s rolling hills, mighty peaks, and modern cities ought to be at the top of the list.”</s>Four climbers have died and another five are in a critical condition after they became trapped overnight on the Swiss Alps during an unexpected storm.

Police in Valais in south-western Switzerland said seven helicopters were used to rescue 14 hikers from France, Germany and Italy in the Pigne d’Arolla region.

Valais police spokesman Markus Rieder said the climbers were caught off-guard by high winds and snow and were forced to spend the night outdoors.

Several of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia, with three dying in hospital. A fourth climber was reportedly killed in a fall.

Police said the group had been trying to reach the Vignettes hikers hut at 10,357ft (3,157m) in the Alps.

Europe has suffered turbulent weather over the past few weeks, with unseasonable spells of hot and cold.

In Germany, firefighters pumped rainwater from basements and cleared flooded road tunnels after a storm swept through parts of the west overnight.

The Aachen region was hardest hit, with rescue services receiving hundreds of calls. Police said nobody was harmed.

France, Belgium and Luxembourg were also affected by heavy rain and hail.</s>Switzerland has become a popular destination for Indian tourists. The country, which has Ranveer Singh as the ambassador for Switzerland Tourism, is undoubtedly happy about the development. With hopes of bringing in more Indian tourists, a Swiss train company has temporarily named one of its trains after Ranveer.

Ranveer is over the moon and was present at the inauguration held on April 30. Naming the train was in honour of his contributions to the rising popularity of Switzerland as the go-to location for Indian tourists. The train will travel on the Golden Pass Line and is launched by Switzerland Tourism and the Swiss Travel System.

Ranveer, who is in Switzerland, had visited several locations in the country. He had even visited the famous bronze statue of Freddie Mercury of Queen. The Padmaavat star even offered tribute to the legend in a way only he can – singing I Want to Break Free. In a statement, the actor had said: “I still remember being completely mesmerised on my first train ride last summer and I hope all our esteemed travellers enjoy this incredible ride as much as I did."

The Ranveer on Tour has been branded with pictures of the star. The ride passes through the landscapes of the Lake Geneva Region and picks up passengers from Montreux. It also passes through Lavaux vineyards, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the mountains of Jura and the Bernese Alps.

"In 2017, activities to promote Switzerland in India have resulted in a strong increase of 23.4 percent in overnights," said Martin Nydegger, CEO, Switzerland Tourism. According to him, the number of Indian tourists using the Swiss Travel Pass has doubled since 2013. He hopes that with the Golden Pass Panoramic Train being named after Ranveer, it will inspire more Indians to travel the route.</s>Rome, May 2 - Five Italians were among six mountaineers who died in the Swiss Alps over the May 1 holiday, sources said Wednesday. In all, 14 people have lost their lives in the Alps in three days, from France to the Veneto.</s>(AP) – Police in southwestern Switzerland say four Alpine climbers have died and another five others were in critical condition after becoming trapped overnight by an unexpected snowstorm and high winds.

Authorities in the Valais canton deployed seven helicopters as part of efforts early Monday to rescue a total of 14 hikers from France, Germany and Italy in the Pigne d’Arolla region.

Valais police spokesman Markus Rieder said they were caught off-guard by high winds, snows and cold and were forced to spend the night outdoors.Several of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia, and were rushed to area hospitals. Police said three people died in hospital, and another apparently was killed in a fall.

Police said the hikers had been trying to reach the Vignettes hikers’ hut at 3,157 meters (10,357 feet) in the Alps.
An avalanche in the Alps kills three skiers and injures two in Valais, Switzerland.