British climbers killed in Mont Blanc range avalanche disaster

 
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Maxine Frith12 July 2012

Three British climbers have been killed and two others are feared dead after a massive avalanche near Mont Blanc in the French Alps today.

The slide hit just before 5am as a group of 28 experienced climbers made their way up Mont Maudit, near the skiing and climbing resort of Chamonix.

They had guides and most of them were roped together in small groups on what is considered to be one of the most dangerous ascents in Europe.

One survivor called for help and dozens of rescue workers battled to dig people out of the snow. Survivors with horrific injuries were airlifted to hospital. A rescue worker speaking from the scene said: It was horrible, so horrible, I have never seen so many people buried.”

Nine people are confirmed dead, three Britons, two Germans, two Swiss and two Spanish. Another four are missing, including two Britons. Nine people are being treated in hospital.

The 4,465-metre Mt Maudit (“Accursed Mountain” in French) is one of several peaks in the Mt Blanc massif.

A team of more than 40 rescuers, along with helicopters and search dogs, were scouring the mountain for the missing climbers this afternoon.

Police paid tribute to the actions of one survivor who managed to raise the alarm on his mobile phone despite being badly injured by the avalanche.

Experienced guides said the Mt Maudit approach to the summit of Mt Blanc was known to be a danger spot for avalanches. Kingsley Jones, of the London-based Icicle guiding group, was in Chamonix this morning.

He said: “We haven’t been using that route for a few weeks because we knew it was getting dangerous with a build-up of snow.

“This is one of the most popular times of year for climbing so there are a lot of people out here at the moment. It’s a terrible tragedy.”

There were no avalanche warnings before what Chamonix mayor Eric Fournier described as the “deadliest snow slide in recent years”. He added: “There were no weather reports forecasting an avalanche risk.” Instead unexpected winds formed “wind slabs” of snow and ice, which are hugely dangerous when they collapse.

Today’s avalanche happened as the sun came up, and heavily impacted snow began to warm up and then cascade downwards.

Despite being popular as a tourist destination with thousands of Britons in both the winter and summer, the Mt Blanc range is one of the most lethal in the world.

It has killed more climbers than any other mountain range, with the annual death toll regularly reaching beyond the 100 mark.

Many lose their lives as they attempt to scale its peaks with insufficient training or supplies. Simon Blackmore, a British mountain guide, said the tragedy happened on a popular but perilous route.

Many of those attempting the climb are unaware of the dangers of giant overhanging ice cliffs, known as “seracs”. Mr Blackmore said he had once had a lucky escape when a serac “the size of an apartment block” collapsed in front of him.

He said: “When climbers started using this route, some of the guides immediately said ‘this is a very, very dangerous route’. It is a route that traverses under seracs. Many climbers don’t understand quite how dangerous it is.”

  • The Foreign Office has set up an emergency number for people worried about friends and relatives who may have been caught up in the avalanche. It is +33 144 513100.

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