A body has been found in the search for two British hikers missing in the Dolomites, Italy’s alpine rescue service has said.
Aziz Ziriat, 36, and 35-year-old Samuel Harris, from London, were last heard from on New Year’s Day, when they sent messages home from the Trentino region in northern Italy.
Police said the two mountain climbers were last seen in the San Valentino Valley, near a mountain hut named Casina Dosson at the base of the south face of Mount Care Alto.
In a statement, the alpine rescue service said the body had been found in deep snow at an altitude of 2,600 metres.
The search for the other hiker is continuing on foot, and alpine rescue teams are using sniffer dogs in their search.
The pair had not checked into their return flight on Monday, sparking a huge search and rescue operation, with around 25 alpine rescue experts, firefighters and police focusing their efforts on the area around Adamello mountain range.
The discovery of a body came shortly after Italy’s alpine rescue service confirmed it had found the rucksacks and other possessions of the two missing British hikers at the Malga Dosson refuge, where they had been staying in the Dolomites.
The rescue service said the hikers’ backpacks, sleeping bags, and cell phone chargers had been found at the refuge, indicating that Mr Ziriat and Mr Harris had intended to return after their mountain hike.
More to follow