Six people go missing during ski tour near Matterhorn in Switzerland

Swiss police are searching for six people who went missing on a ski tour near Matterhorn on Sunday.

Officers in Switzerland's Valais canton said the people were part of a ski tour that departed from the Alpine town of Zermatt.

The skiers went missing around Tête Blanche mountain on Saturday on the Zermatt-Arolla path, near the Matterhorn mountain that straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy, police said.

“The weather conditions are currently very bad, which makes the emergency response very difficult," the police said, without disclosing information about the six missing people.

“The group began its tour on Saturday in Zermatt and was later reported missing in the Tête Blanche area,” the police statement added.

Zermatt is a popular mountain resort renowned for skiing and attracts tourists from around the world.