Fatal Mont Blanc Avalanche

An avalanche on the Mont Blanc du Tacul this morning has claimed the lives on two mountaineers, whilst the search continues in dangerous conditions.

At 4am this morning the Chamonix mountain rescue services were alerted of an avalanche on the Mont Blanc du Tacul. Issuing an immediate convoy by foot and a helicopter when the weather conditions allowed, the rescue team discovered two dead mountaineers under the slide.
The two dead, Italian women aged 37 & 41, were part of a group of three Italian climbers caught in the avalanche. The third person in the group, a guide from Courmayeur, has been airlifted to a hospital in Annecy and is said to be in a serious condition.

The rescue team are continuing their search however according to head-counts from local mountain huts there are not thought to be any further possible vitims. Due to the location of the avalanche, just below the seracs, the search is limited to one prober at a time.

The avalanche comes one year, one month & one day after the avalanche on the Mont Maudit which claimed the lives of 9 mountaineers.