Death toll from surprise snowstorm in Swiss Alps rises to 7

BERLIN – Swiss authorities say a seventh person has died after getting trapped in the Alps overnight by an unexpected snowstorm.

Swiss police said Wednesday that a 42-year-old Italian died in a hospital, but provided no further information.

A total of 14 hikers from two groups were in the Pigne d'Arolla region of Switzerland, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the famed Matterhorn, when the bad weather hit on Sunday.

They spent the night out in freezing temperatures with no shelter before authorities mounted a rescue operation Monday involving seven helicopters.

Five other hikers have died in the hospital while being treated for hypothermia. A guide fell to his death before the rescue. Several more people from the stranded groups remain hospitalized.