Two Spanish mountaineers die in the French Alps

Two Spanish mountaineers aged 26 and 27 died on Wednesday 21 August while descending Mont-Blanc de Tacul, a peak belonging to the Mont-Blanc massif, in the French Alps. The accident occurred when they were trying to rappel, but a block of rock broke off, causing a fall of more than 350 metres. A third mountaineer who was accompanying them was unharmed, although he was hospitalised in a state of shock after witnessing the tragedy.

The incident took place at an altitude of 4,248 metres in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. According to the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM), the three climbers were trying to test the stability of a rock before beginning their descent by abseiling. However, the block unexpectedly gave way, causing the two young Spaniards to fall to their deaths.

The third climber, who witnessed the accident directly, found himself in a difficult situation as he did not have a mobile phone to call for help immediately. He decided to descend the mountain and alert another climber who crossed his path. French civil security rescue teams subsequently travelled by helicopter to the scene of the incident, confirming the death of the two climbers and taking their bodies to Chamonix.

The survivor was taken to Sallanches hospital, where he received medical attention due to the state of shock he was in after the tragic event. The French authorities have launched an investigation to clarify the precise causes of the accident, although further details have not yet been revealed about what could have caused the rock to fall.

Mont-Blanc de Tacul is known for being a challenge for mountaineers from all over the world. Forming part of the Mont-Blanc massif, the highest peak in Western Europe at 4,805 metres high, the region is popular with mountaineers, but also dangerous due to changeable weather conditions and unstable terrain.