At least three people have died after several avalanches hit northern Italy. Rescue services warned that the death toll could rise as weather conditions in the Alps remain unstable.
In Lombardy, two people died in an avalanche near Albosaggio.
In Trentino, a skier was buried alive by a second avalanche that occurred after 4 p.m. on the Marmolada massif near Punta Serauta.
The victim was part of a group of four Italian skiers in their 40s who had left marked slopes. They were equipped with avalanche transceivers, shovels and probes, but this did not prevent the death, the Alpine Rescue Service said.
The first skier caused the avalanche and was completely buried under the snow, while the others - completely unharmed - began a search before rescuers arrived. Helicopters and dog teams joined the search, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier in the day, an avalanche in the Aosta Valley partially buried two skiers who were rescued by their companions.