Seven missing in Swiss avalanche

Seven people are missing after an avalanche swept away eleven people near Switzerland's southern border with Italy, police said today.

One person was able to free himself and raised the alarm, and rescuers have so far managed to recover three people, Swiss news agency SDA reported citing local police.

Information about the condition of those recovered wasn't immediately available.

The incident happened on Mont Velan, a towering 12,200-feet peak that straddles the Swiss-Italian border in the Pennine Alps.

Switzerland's National Avalanche Centre warned of a "considerable" risk of snowslides in the region today.

Each year dozens of hikers, skiers and mountaineers are killed by avalanches in the region, particularly in spring when the snow begins to melt.