MADRID, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Two men and a woman were confirmed dead by Spain's Civil Guard on Monday after they were swept away by an avalanche, authorities said.

A second woman is receiving medical treatment for minor injuries and hypothermia, while two other men from the six-member group escaped unharmed.

The tragedy occurred at around 1 p.m. local time on Tablato Peak, near the spa town of Panticosa, in the northern Spanish region of Aragon.

The group, reported to be from the Basque region, was at an altitude of about 2,700 meters when they were struck by the avalanche, which buried two men and two women.

Emergency services, including a helicopter carrying a doctor, were rapidly dispatched to the scene, but were unable to save the three victims.

Spain's government delegate in Aragon Fernando Beltran said the avalanche was triggered by the fracture of an ice sheet that dragged snow and ice down the mountainside, sweeping the victims away with fatal consequences.

"We are never going to grow tired of urging caution in the mountains, even for those who are well equipped or when conditions may appear favorable," Beltran added. ■