Two Dutch people die as a result of avalanches in Switzerland

Two Dutch citizens died on Thursday as a result of two avalanches near Davos in Switzerland. They were 35 and 31 years old and were on a ski trip, Swiss police reported on Friday.

The two had started the trip from the village of Sertig-Dörfli in southeastern Switzerland on Thursday morning with a Swiss ski instructor and one other person. A mass of snow came down a few hours later at an altitude of over 2,700 meters. The two Dutch people were completely buried in the snow as a result.

There had been a high risk of avalanches in the area for days, according to the AD. This is a result of the high amount of fresh snow that fell on top of relatively "weak and old snow cover."

They had passed away by the time they were pulled out from under the snow. One other person was partly buried in the snow. Two helicopters and specially trained dogs were used to find the Dutch people and recover their bodies.

All participants in the trip had special avalanche airbags on. They were also wearing devices that would help them get found quickly in the case of an avalanche.

The Public Prosecution Service and the cantonal police of Graubünden have now started an investigation into the events.