2 Hikers on Snowshoes, Hit by Avalanche in Italian Alps, Are Dead, Rescuers Say

Two mountain hikers are dwarfed by the winter landscape of the Formazza Valley, northern Italy, on April 11, 2004. Fabio Polimeni/AP Photo

ROME—Two hikers on snowshoes were killed by an avalanche in the Italian Alps near Switzerland, a rescue service said Sunday.

The avalanche occurred around noon on Sunday at the 2,200-meter (7,200-foot) level in the Formazza Valley in the Piedmont region, said Federico Catania, a spokesperson for Italy’s alpine rescue service.