S-CHARL, Switzerland (AP) _ An avalanche engulfed a Dutch skiing party on San Lorenzo mountain Friday, killing five people and injuring a sixth in the deadliest snowslide in the Swiss Alps in three years, police said. The deaths brought the skiing season's avalanche toll in Switzerland to 19. The snowslide occurred at noontime and swept seven Dutch skiers and a local mountain guide down the slope. The guide and one tourist freed themselves and alerted rescue helicopters by a walkie-talkie radio, police reported. Search teams assisted by dogs recovered five bodies and rescued an injured woman who was flown to a Zurich hospital. The skiers were at the 8,600-foot level of the nearly 10,000-foot mountain when they were struck by the avalanche. The Swiss Avalanche Research Institute on Friday had warned of moderate snowslide danger above 6,600 feet. Police did not release the names of the victims, but said the Dutch group came to S-charl on Sunday for a week of ski touring. It was the deadliest avalanche in Switzerland since 11 people were killed near Zermatt in March 1985.
