Three Italian soldiers die during exercise at Swiss border
Published: Wednesday, May 29th 2024, 17:10
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Three Italian soldiers died in a climbing accident during an exercise in the Italian Alps on the border with Switzerland on Wednesday. They were young men from the Alpine mountain rescue unit of the financial police, according to Italy's Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti.
The trio died tragically in Val Masino during a training exercise, the statement said. The village about 18.5 kilometers west-northwest of Sondrio borders directly on the Swiss municipality of Bregaglia GR.
Giorgetti expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He did not provide any further details.
According to Italian media reports, the soldiers fell into an abyss at midday while climbing. According to the daily newspaper "Il Corriere della Sera", a rope is said to have failed beforehand.
Two helicopters were called out to rescue them. The three soldiers were already dead when the emergency services arrived. An operation was launched to recover the bodies.
©Keystone/SDA