Rome, Jan 7 (AP) Two hikers on snowshoes were killed by an avalanche in the Italian Alps near Switzerland, a rescue service said on 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.

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The force of the avalanche pushed one of the victims into a lake near the bottom of the slope, while the other body was found in the mass of snow, he said.

Despite strong winds, a helicopter was able to lower a rescue team aided by a dog unit.

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The identities of the two victims weren't immediately released.

A search operation was launched after guards at a nearby dike reported seeing an avalanche strike two hikers, Catania said. An initial search by foot failed to find the hikers, prompting the use of the helicopter.

A firefighters helicopter carrying divers was dispatched to recover the body from the lake, rescuers said. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)