Nine European climbers have been killed and nine others injured in an avalanche on the north face of Mont Maudit, part of Mont Blanc officials informed.
Mont Maudit / NationalTurk – Haute-Savoie prefecture reported that 2 Spaniards, 1 German and 1 Swiss national were among the victims. Two others have not been identified. but initial reports coming from the region indicate the group of climbers comprised of 28 persons coming from Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Serbia and Spain.
The group of climbers in the expedition were believed to be caught in the avalanche while they were 4,000 meters (13,1000 feet) high on the north face of Mont Maudit, part of the Mont Blanc range. 2 climbers were rescued and emergency crews were searching for the missing.
Bodies of 3 Britons found at the avalanche site at Mount Maudit
Hours later, rescuers found the bodies of three more victims, believed to be Britons.
Some climbers managed to turn back in time, the regional authorities in Haute-Savoie said. The bodies of three more people – said to be Britons – have also been found. At least four people are still missing.
The alarm was sounded at 05:25 local time (03:25 GMT) by one of the injured climbers on the slopes of Mont Maudit and rescue operation was immediately launched. The route where the avalanche struck is popular with summer tourists heading for the summit of Mont Blanc.
Maunt Maudit = Cursed Mountain : Avalanche takes lives of climbers
Rescue teams are using a helicopter to search for the missing climbers. In all, 28 climbers were roped together in several groups. The injured were airlifted then to a local hospital.
The British Foreign Office stated the French authorities have not yet confirmed to London that any British nationals were among the climber group in the expedition.
The weather in the Mount Blanc range has been warm and windy over the last couple of days, which could have led to an increased avalanche risk at high altitudes.
Mont Maudit means the cursed mountain and it rises to 4,465m. Mont Blanc is known as one of the world’s most accessible mountains, however the French Alps’ unpredictable climate and geography are on so many cases fatally forgotten.
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