24 August 2008 - 11H41
Eight missing in Mont Blanc avalanche accident
A rescue operation to find eight missing climbers caught up in an avalanche within the peaks of Mont Blanc on Saturday has been called off due to dangerous weather conditions.
PARIS/ROME, Aug 24 (Reuters) - An avalanche hit climbers on
Mont Blanc on Sunday, leaving seven injured and eight others
missing and French police said there was little hope of finding
any survivors.
The injured included French and Italians. Five Austrians and
three Swiss were among the missing. The avalanche occurred at
dawn, an Italian police official said earlier on Sunday.
Among those injured, four had left hospital while another
three were still being treated.
French rescue forces suspended their search for the missing
climbers on Sunday, due to hazardous conditions.
Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps, spanning the
border between Italy and France.
Related Content
Stay tuned
