An avalanche on Sunday in Greece's snow-covered southern mountains killed five climbers and injured two from a party of 28, rescue officials said. Greek Fire Brigade chief Christos Smetis, whose service is in charge of rescue operations, said the trapped climbers used mobile phones to alert authorities to their plight and guide them to their location. Sniffer dogs and mountain rescue teams joined the search for the climbers on a windswept mountain about 300 km (185 miles) south of Athens. "The rescue is over. There are five dead and two injured. The others are safe," Smetis told Reuters. The accident, following warmer weather after more than a week of heavy snow, happened near the Menalos ski resort, a popular climbing and skiing area close to the central Peloponnese town of Tripoli. The group, which belonged to an Athens climbing club, started their climb from a hut 1,500 metres (4,920 feet) up the 2,500 metre (8,200 feet) high Profitis Ilias mountain. A small number of the group fell from a path to a narrow ledge and rescuers speculated their fall may have set off the avalanche in an area not known for them. Guide books describe the climb as only for experienced mountaineers in good weather as it involves sheer drops and many narrow ridges.
