Five climbers die in Austria's Zillertal Alps

Three other climbing fatalities occurred over the weekend

The Zillertal Alps are a popular area for hiking and climbing (Creative Commons/CrabbyPatrick)

Five mountain climbers have died and another was seriously injured in the Austria's Zillertal Alps, according to the country's Red Cross.

It brings the death toll of this weekend's Alps mountaineering fatalities to eight.

The most recent victims were climbing at around 2,000 metres on Mount Gabler, east of Innsbruck, and were roped together when they fell.

Five rescue helicopters were sent to the scene but only one climber survived and is now being treated in a Salzurg hospital.

The cause of the incident is currently unknown. Emergency responders are working to recover the bodies.

"We think a rope may have come loose," said Anton Voithofer of the Red Cross rescue team.

The nationalities of the dead climbers have not yet been released.

The picturesque Zillertal Alps feature deep gorges and are a popular area for hiking and climbing.

Also on Sunday, two Italian climbers died while falling into a crevasse in the alp's on their country's side of the border.

The Italian news agency Ansa said one of the crevasse victims had been rescued Sunday in grave condition but later died of their injuries.

The two who died after falling were part of nine mountaineers roped together while climbing on a glacier in the Ademello Brenta Park near Trento in northern Italy, Ansa added.

The cause of the fall wasn't immediately known.

On Saturday, an Italian climber died after being hit by boulders in the Valtellina Alpine area, further west of Trento, near the border with Switzerland.