A 54-year-old hiker has died after being swept away by an avalanche in the Engadine. Two women who were with the victim managed to escape unharmed.

Police said the trio were making their way to a mountain hut on Friday when disaster struck.

As the man made his way across a tricky traverse, he was caught and buried in an avalanche. The two women managed to dig their companion out from the snow but he was already dead.

Elsewhere, several off-piste skiers were caught by avalanches but escaped relatively unharmed.

In Scuol in canton Graubünden, two young skiers were taken to hospital after being partially buried in an avalanche.

A family of four was caught in an avalanche yesterday in Verbier. Two children, aged 16 and 13, were treated for minor injuries.

An off-piste skier in Leysin also had a lucky escape. He got caught in branches on the edge of a 30-metre-high cliff where rescuers managed to free him and lead him to safety.

Helicopters of the air rescue service Rega were called out at least 40 times over the Christmas weekend.