MADRID, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the Swiss region of Valais confirmed three climbers who died in an avalanche on Saturday, March 31 were Spanish.
The trio was caught in an avalanche at an altitude of 2,450 meters between Fiesch and the ski station of Fiescheralp.
Authorities confirmed the victims were aged 37, 48 and 38 years old and that their families had been informed of the tragedy.
The woman has been named in the Spanish media as Lella Perez, who worked for the medical services of the Spanish National Police force, while another of the victims has been named as Roman Bascunana, who was a highly experienced climber and the director of the School of Mountaineering for the region of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain.
The Castilla-La Mancha regional government confirms Bascunana had worked as a guide and instructor since the year 2000 and had participated in over 30 expeditions to the Himalayas, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Nepal.
Meanwhile two people who were injured in the avalanche have been allowed to leave hospital. The pair, a 49-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, were rescued on Sunday morning and treated for minor injuries and also received psychological help following their traumatic experience.
The police in the Valais region explained the fatal avalanche occurred in an area outside of that permitted for skiing, but highlighted that the fact the climbers were all wearing a device emitting a signal showing where they were at all times, helped the rescue and recovery operation.
