Nine skiers were swept away by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps on Saturday but suffered only minor injuries, police said. The skiers were located by rescuers and airlifted to a hospital.

The avalanche formed near the summit of Mount Alfubel (4,206 m) in the southwestern part of the canton of Valais, close to the Italian border. The location is close to the iconic Matterhorn mountain and the ski resort of Zermatt.

A police spokesman told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that 16 people were in the area at the time of the avalanche, and that they were all evacuated safely.

Nine of them were airlifted to hospitals in Visp and Sion. Three have already been discharged after receiving first aid, while the remaining six are still hospitalized.

“They were very lucky, you can say that,” commented the police spokesman.

Seven other tourists were evacuated by helicopter without any injuries.

In the last six months, 15 people have been killed by avalanches in Switzerland, while the fate of one is still unknown.