Bodies of six climbers found in Alps near Grenoble

The bodies of six mountaineers who appear to have died in a Saturday avalanche were found by a hiker on the Neige Cordier summit near Grenoble on Sunday. The nationality of the climbers is not yet known.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - A hiker on Sunday found the bodies of six mountaineers in the French Alps who appeared to have died in an avalanche of snow and stones, officials said.

The bodies found on Neige Cordier summit at 2,700 metres (8,850 feet) were taken by helicopter to the nearby village of Villar d'Arene, village mayor Xavier Cret told AFP.

"The victims were climbing roped together in two groups. It looks like there was a slide of snow and stones mixed together," he said, adding that it appeared that they had died on Saturday.

There was no immediate confirmation of the nationality of the dead climbers.