Swiss mountain ice fall claims French and Spanish victims
The Grand Combin mountain peak, covered in snow, in western Switzerland.
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
Two people have been killed, and nine injured, after a mountaineering group was struck by chunks of ice cascading from a summit in western Switzerland.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Police said that a French citizen, aged 40, and a Spaniard, 65, were killed on the Grand Combin mountain in canton Valais during the accident on Friday.
Nine other members of the 17-strong mountaineering team were taken to hospital, two with serious injuries. The rest of the party has been evacuated from the scene by helicopter.
The peak of Grand Combin stands 4,314 metres above sea level, but the icefall occurred at a height of 3,400 metres in the ‘Plateau du Déjeuner’ area as the climbers were ascending to the summit via the ‘Voie du Gardien’ route.
The alarm was raised around 6.20 am on Friday, leading to a rescue operation involving seven helicopters from the Air-Glaciers, Air Zermatt and Rega rescue services.
More
More
Up in the Clouds
This content was published on
We had a feeling this would be coming, as the night before our tin-can of a bivouac hut made popping noises as gusts slammed into it from one side and then another. The cirrus clouds that covered Mont Blanc and all the mountains to the west were a pretty good clue as well, especially when…
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
Gerhard Pfister to step down as Swiss Centre Party leader
This content was published on
Swiss Centre Party president Gerhard Pfister will step down next summer, the party announced in a press release on Monday.
SWISS crew member ‘died as a result of oxygen deprivation’
This content was published on
SWISS crew member reportedly died of brain damage resulting from lack of oxygen, following an emergency landing last month.
Zurich flights cancelled due to snow and freezing rain
This content was published on
Snowfall and freezing rain severely disrupt air traffic at Zurich airport over the weekend, with more than 50 flights being cancelled.
Terror threat rising in Switzerland, says Attorney General
This content was published on
The number of active terrorism investigations in Switzerland has doubled since 2022, according to the country’s top prosecutor.
Credit Suisse Nazi ties ‘ran deeper than thought’: media report
This content was published on
Credit Suisse is alleged to have withheld details of its historic links with World War II-era Nazi clients, says the Wall Street Journal.
Swiss man faces life imprisonment after Australia drugs arrest
This content was published on
Swiss man, 21, accused of attempting to smuggle 25 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of CHF4.5 million into Australia.
Swiss insurer Helvetia says 500 jobs affected by cost-cutting
This content was published on
Some 500 jobs, including 200 to 250 in Switzerland, are affected by the new operational efficiency measures recently announced by insurer Helvetia.
This content was published on
If even mountains are in constant motion, then we should accept the inevitable shifts in our lives when everything around us is changing.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.