A body has been found in the search for two missing British hikers who went missing in the Dolomites, Italy’s alpine rescue has said.
Aziz Ziriat, 36, and Samuel Harris, 35, from London, were hiking but had not been heard from since 1 January and did not check in for their flight home on Monday.
Their last known location was near a mountain hut called Casina Dosson, close to the town of Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda, on Lake Garda.
A spokesperson for Italy’s CNSAS (The National Alpine Cliff And Cave Rescue Corps) said ground teams found a body in the area of Passo di Conca “sadly deceased, buried under the snow”.
It confirmed a search for the second mountaineer would continue and the families of both men had been informed.
Rescuers have been focusing their search on “two specific areas” on Wednesday, but efforts were being hampered by the changing conditions amid warnings of dense fog and snow avalanches.
Fresh heavy snowfall has also fallen throughout the valleys of the Adamello mountain range.
A close friend of the hikers said they have been “waiting anxiously” for news and that helicopters have been “searching two specific locations – two refuge huts”.
Joe Stone said: “They are experienced hikers and they go a couple of times a year.
“It wasn’t surprising that they had no (phone) signal as they like going off the grid.
“Alarm bells were raised though when they didn’t turn up for their flight on 6 January.”
Samuel Harris (left) and Aziz Ziriat
Mr Ziriat’s girlfriend and friends of the hikers are currently in Italy helping to co-ordinate the search with local authorities.
Mr Stone added: “The response from the local authorities has been fantastic and people from all walks of life have been trying to help, both in Italy and in the UK.”
Various appeals have been launched to help find the men, including by Crystal Palace Football Club, where Mr Ziriat works.
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