Rome: Rescuers said one of the victims was part of a group skiing on the designated slopes of Punta Roca, 3,300 meters above sea level in the Marmolada massif, the highest peak in the Dolomites. The other two died near Albosagia, a village in the Valtellina Valley, about 65 kilometers east of Bormio, where the men’s alpine skiing competition at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be held.

Authorities have warned that prolonged snowfall will significantly increase the risk of avalanches in northern Italy. Several accidents have been reported in recent days, including the death of two Finnish skiers in an avalanche in the Trentino-Alto Adige region earlier this week. Emergency services continue to urge people traveling in mountainous areas to use extreme caution.