Four skiers dead after caught in Swiss Alps storm

Four skiers were confirmed dead on Monday and five others were in critical condition after being forced to spend the night exposed to the elements in the Swiss Alps, police said.

Bad weather in the Pigne d'Arolla area of the Swiss Alps on Sunday caught a group 14 skiers by surprise, police in Valais canton said in a statement.

The manager of a rest-stop in the remote mountain region sent out a call for help at dawn on Monday, triggering a major relief operation that involved seven helicopters, police said.

"Four people lost their lives, five others are in a critical state," the statement said.

Police indicated that one of those killed "likely" died from a fall and was found dead at the scene, while three others died later in hospital.

Some of those not identified as being in critical condition are suffering from "mild hypothermia" but their "lives are not in danger," according to police.

The skiers were Italian, French and German nationals, police said.