MOSCOW (Reuters) - Seven Russian tourists on a hiking holiday in Siberia are feared dead after an avalanche on a ridge in the Altai region, the local emergencies ministry said on Wednesday, saying rescue workers were still looking for the missing walkers.

The avalanche happened on Monday, but came to light only on Wednesday when two survivors from the same group reached the nearby settlement of Kosh-Agach and were able to radio in for help, the TASS news agency cited emergency services as saying.

Two rescue helicopters have been deployed to find the missing tourists, the emergencies ministry said. The group of nine people was visiting Altai from the Russian city of Novosibirsk.