Rescue workers have found the bodies of five cross-country skiers in southeastern Switzerland, on the border with Italy, local police said on Monday.

Police in the Swiss canton of Valais launched a search on Sunday for six people who were reported missing after setting out on a ski tour in the Alpine town of Zermatt..

Bad weather conditions and the risk of avalanches made the search difficult, but a team of rescuers eventually found five bodies, the police said. The sixth missing person is still being sought.

The skiers were aged between 21 and 58, according to police.

The group went missing near the 3,706-meter Tête Blanche mountain, which lies halfway between Zermatt and Arolla.

The resort of Zermatt is renowned for skiing and attracts tourists from around the world who come to see the iconic Matterhorn.