Three more die in Alps after Mont Blanc fall
Two climbers and their guide have been found dead after a fall in the Mont Blanc range, French police said on Monday.
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"The fall of 800 metres gave them no chance," police said, adding that they probably fell off a ridge which climbers must use to return to a nearby refuge hut.
"Investigations are ongoing to find out the cause of the fall. It's possible that an overhang of snow gave way under the group, preventing the guide from holding up his clients," police added.
Helicopter rescue teams discovered the bodies of the three victims on Sunday night near the Aiguille du Midi peak, which rises to a height of 3,842 metres.
They search began on Saturday evening
The deaths come just days after six climbers fell 250 metres to their death on another peak, the Aiguille d'Argentiere.
Since the beginning of the climbing season 20 people have been recorded missing or dead in the area.
An American climber sparked outrage earlier this month when he tried to climb the mountain with his nine-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter and got caught in an avalanche.
The family escaped uninjured, but video footage of the incident in a spot known as the "Corridor of Death" caused an outcry when it was broadcast in the United States last month.
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