The two climbers were on the ascent to the top of the Zumsteinspitze mountain – the fifth highest in the Alps – on Friday morning. The fall occurred at an altitude of 4,500 meters for reasons still unknown, according to the police statement.
The rescue services, alerted by a third party, were only able to confirm the death of one of the climbers. His formal identification was still underway on Saturday. The second, seriously injured victim is a 30-year-old Swiss man. He was flown to the hospital in Bern by helicopter.
The public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the accident in collaboration with the Valais cantonal police.
Adapted from German by DeepL/ac
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