Efforts on to save Italians stuck in Alps

GRENOBLE, France: French mountain rescue workers yesterday launched a helicopter operation to save two prominent Italian heart specialists and a guide stranded in the Alps.
The three climbers have been missing since Sunday but the rescuers have located their mobile phones and are hopeful they could be in a mountain refuge situated at 2,410m altitude.
The refuge was not accessible by path because of a high avalanche risk and pilots were waiting for thick fog to lift before attempting to get close to the refuge. On Thursday, helicopters were unable to descend below 3,400m because of low, snow-filled clouds.
Italian media have identified the three men as Damiano Barabino, a cardiologist in Genoa, Francesco Cantu, a senior heart surgeon from Lecco and Luca Gaggianese, a mountain guide from Milan.