Body found in search for British hikers missing in Italian mountains | World | News

A body has been found in the search for two Brits hiking in the mountains of Italy who had been missing since New Year’s day.

Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, were last heard from when they sent messages home from northern Italy’s Trentino region.

Police said two mountain climbers were last spotted in the San Valentino Valley near a mountain hut named Casina Dosson by Mount Care Alto.

Now, the alpine rescue service has said in a statement that a body has been found in deep snow at an altitude of 2,600 metres.

Rescue workers said they tracked down the body after tracing his mobile phone signal.

The search for the other hiker is still ongoing, with alpine rescue teams on foot using sniffer dogs to determine the Briton’s whereabouts.

Italy’s alpine rescue service had earlier confirmed it had discovered possessions belonging to the missing hikers, including backpacks, sleeping bags, and phone chargers, at the Malga Dosson refuge where they had been staying in the mountains.

It’s noted as uncommon for hikers to vanish during this period, sparking concern among search teams which include Alpine Rescue, Guardia di Finanza, Carabinieri and local firefighters.

Efforts had reportedly been made tougher due to harsh weather and recent snow, according to local outlet Il Dolomiti.

Fears erupted when the pair failed to check into their return flight on Monday to the UK.

Around 25 alpine rescuer experts, as well as police and firefighters, were scrambled in a major search operation.

Efforts had reportedly been focused around Adamello mountain range.

Friends and family of the missing hikers expressed their worries, issuing desperate pleas for more information.

Miriam Ziriat, Aziz’s sister, told the Mailonline: “I’m just really, really concerned about them and just desperate to hear something about their whereabouts, just to hear that they’re okay. It’s just obviously very, very worrying.

‘It’s not unusual for us not to hear from him on these kind of trips. He has done these mountaineering trips and tracks before, but he is usually in a larger group – there are only two of them on this trip.”

A friend of the pair said loved ones were “waiting anxiously” for news and that “the next few hours are crucial” in the search.

He told the PA news agency: “They are experienced hikers and they go a couple of times a year. It wasn’t surprising that they had no signal as they like going off the grid.”

This is a breaking story. More to follow.