Three people are killed as avalanche hits popular Swiss ski resort

Three people were killed in a huge avalanche in Switzerland on Easter Monday, police have confirmed.

Authorities confirmed three bodies were found after going missing in Zermatt, in the southern canton of Valais, on Easter Monday.

A fourth person was found with injuries and flown to a nearby hospital after a dramatic hunt involving four helicopters.

Some 45 rescuers took part in searches, including eight avalanche dog handlers, 13 rescue specialists, 15 firefighters and local ski instructors.

Police did not confirm the identities of the victims.

Valais, in Switzerland, attracts tourists from all over during its busy ski season.

'It looked to me as if there were several people on the slope at the time of the avalanche,' a horrified witness told local outlet Blick. 

Bruno Jelk, former head of the Zermatt mountain rescue service and current head of Mattertal avalanche monitoring, said several had come off piste on a 'very steep slope' where tracks could still be seen.