Five mountain climbers fall to their deaths in Swiss Alps

Five mountain climbers fall to their deaths in Swiss Alps

2011-07-16 03:49:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

VALAIS, SWITZERLAND (BNO NEWS) -- Five mountain climbers were killed on Friday as a result of three separate incidents in the Pennine Alps mountain range in Switzerland, police said.

The deadliest accident happened at around 10 a.m. local time on Grand Combin in the western Pennine Alps. Grand Combin is with its 4,314 meters (14,154 ft) high summit one of the highest peaks in the Alps and the second most prominent of its range.

According to a statement from Valais Canton Police, one of the three climbers fell and likely caused his two fellow climbers to fall as well. "The victims fell down several hundred meters down a snowy lane while hitting the rocks," the statement said, adding that the identification process is ongoing.

Another accident happened on the Petit Mont Collon mountain as two climbers descended from the summit. The men had installed a rope around a rock and, after the first climber went down, the second climber fell about 20 meters (65 feet) when the rope broke. " He died at the scene of the accident," police said.

The third accident happened on the 4,010 meters (13,156 feet) high Lagginhorn mountain when seven German climbers had almost reached the summit. One of them was killed when he lost his balance and fell, falling hundreds of meters.

Valais Canton Police described Friday as an unusually deadly day. Since the beginning of the season, a total of 13 climbers have died in the region, including eight during the month of July.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-16