Seven climbers killed in the Alps

Rome, Aug 28 (IANS) Seven climbers fell to their deaths in two separate incidents in the Austrian and Italian Alps, officials said.

The two incidents took place on Sunday.

Five of the climbers died in the Austrian Alps, Zell am See provincial government chief Martin Reichholf told CNN.

Reichholf said there were indications that the climbers were German citizens, adding that details were still emerging.

The climbers in Austria fell around 300 metres onto a glacier near the town of Krimml, according to Egbert Ritter, a trauma surgeon in a Salzburg hospital.

A sixth climber -- a 60-year-old man -- is in intensive care at the hospital, but his injuries are not life-threatening, Ritter told CNN.

In Italy, a man and woman who appear to be in their mid-30s were killed as they climbed the Adamello glacier in the the Trentino Alto Adige region, according to the emergency rescue centre in the town of Trento.

They were part of a group of nine Italians from the city of Brescia. The climbers were connected by three ropes. They fell when those on the lowest rope slipped on the glacier, dragging down others higher up the slope, reports CNN.

Two other climbers were seriously injured, including a 14-year-old boy who is being treated in Trento hospital.

Three helicopters were used to rescue the group, officials said.

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