Avalanche Tragedy on the French Alps

The search for two Britons and two Spaniards,(missing in the Alps' Mont Blanc massif after an avalanche that killed nine other climbers), has been called off for the night. Three Britons were confirmed among the nine found dead on Mont Maudit. The others were three Germans, one Swiss and two Spaniards. The search for four people still missing - two Britons and two Spaniards - is continuing. A total of 15 people with minor injuries were rescued following the disaster on Mont Maudit, which translates as 'Cursed Mountain' and is the massif's third-highest peak. Authorities described the avalanche as "the most deadly of recent years". A spokeswoman for the Prefecture de la Haute-Savoie said: "Nine people are dead, three of them British. It is not known whereabouts in the UK they are from." A group of 28 climbers from Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Denmark and Serbia were believed to be in the expedition caught in the avalanche that was 4,000 metres (13,1000ft) high on the north face of Mont Maudit. Officials said a block of ice around 16in (40cm)-thick broke off and slid down the slope, creating a 2-metre (6ft)-thick, 50-metre (160-ft)-long mass of snow. Several dozen gendarmes and other rescuers using helicopters and dogs worked to pull the dead and injured from the mountain and search for the missing. The risk of a new avalanche complicated the search. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls paid tribute to those taking part in the rescue effort. "I admire their drive and the difficult conditions in which they have been working - they're quite perilous as you know," he told reporters. "We continue to search obviously, although the conditions are still perilous. The mountain is not safe at this stage." He said that, on a helicopter flight over the massif, large chunks of ice could be seen around the area where the rescuers were still working. The mayor's spokesman in Chamonix said those killed in the disaster were in a group of very experienced climbers who were attempting to scale Mont Blanc - Western Europe's highest peak - on one of the more difficult routes, via Mont Maudit and Mont du Tacul. He said they would have set off from Refuge des Cosmiques at about 3am local time (2am UK time) and the accident is thought to have happened between 5.30am and 6am (4.30am and 5am UK time). The spokesman added that a large chunk of ice broke away from the mountainside, causing an avalanche of ice and rocks. The survivors were rescued by helicopter mountain rescue. Chamonix-based mountain guide Richard Mansfield said the route where the accident happened was the second most popular to the top of Mont Blanc. Mr Mansfield said it was not unusual to have 100 people a day use it. He said: "It's a very beautiful area and a common route but it can have very serious consequences, particularly due to avalanches." Mr Mansfield, who runs mountainadventureguides.co.uk, said the slopes on Mont Maudit faces away from the prevailing wind which means snow is pushed over forming slabs. "These can easily be set off by a passing climber, causing an avalanche." :: Anyone concerned about friends or family following the avalanche can call the Foreign Office on +33 (0)1 44 51 31 00 or 0207 008 1500 in the UK.