Swiss Alps: 5 climbers die in fall
The sun rises over Swiss alpine mountains. Five hikers reportedly died in a mountain climbing accident on July 3, 2012 near the Swiss-Italian border.
Five foreign climbers reportedly fell to their deaths in the Valais region in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday, according to the BBC.
The climbers were descending from the 4,010-meter summit of the Lagginhorn near the Italian border, but plunged several hundred meters, said the Associated Press.
"The five climbers fell several hundred meters. They all died at the scene," said a local police statement, according to the BBC.
A sixth climber alerted authorities, but the climbers had died on the spot, said the AP.
More on GlobalPost: Nick Hall, ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, dies during climber rescue
Police said it was not clear what had caused the accident. The nationalities of the hikers had not been identified, said the BBC.
Last month, climbing ranger Nick Hall fell to his death while helping rescue climbers at Mount Rainier. His body has not yet been recovered due to weather conditions, and has been postponed to either Wednesday or Thursday, said The Seattle Times.