10 Die in Alps Climbing Accident

A layer of ice formed overnight in northern Italy's Alps sent at least 10 climbers and skiers sliding to their deaths Sunday. The victims included four climbers who died one by one trying to rescue a dog and then, themselves. Rescuers were having trouble reaching the victims on the icy slopes and helicopters were needed to recover some of the victims and bodies, said Guido Villa, emergency aid director in the Alpine town of Lecco, near the Austrian border. Sunday began with a sunny morning after a spell of rain, and ''maybe some people, tempted by the beautiful weather, went where there were no conditions to go,'' said Cesare Maestri, 72, one of Italy's most respected Alpine veterans. Dozens of people die in Europe's Alps each year, most in avalanches, AP reports.