Mont Blanc avalanche kills climbers

15:55, 12 July 2012

PARIS. July 12. KAZINFORM An avalanche on Mont Blanc in France has killed six climbers and injured at least eight others, according to mountain rescue services.

A number of people are still missing on the slope known as Mont Maudit (Accursed Mountain) at Chamonix, the Guardian reports.

The avalanche struck just after 5am on Thursday and surprised at least two climbing teams at an altitude of 4,000 metres on the north face of Mont Blanc, the second most popular path up the mountain.

According to initial reports from Europe 1 radio, around 20 people, including French, Swiss, Spanish, German and Serbian nationals, were in the party that was hit.

An injured climber raised the alarm at 5.25am, according to the local mountain gendarmerie at Chamonix.

Several dozen rescuers, including gendarmes, mountain guides and two teams of sniffer dogs were searching the mountain for survivors.