Seven climbers die in 24‑hour spate of Alpine accidents

Within 24 hours, a series of accidents in the north‑western Alps claimed seven alpinists. Three Italian climbers from Trentino fell on the north wall of Gran Paradiso in the Valle d'Aosta. Two French alpinists died on the Kuffner ridge of Mont Maudit in the Mont Blanc massif, while a 56‑year‑old skier perished on the Italian side of the Brenva glacier. A foreign alpinist was found dead near the Pic Tyndall on the Matterhorn (Cervino) after a fall on the normal Italian route. The seventh victim was recovered on the Brenva glacier later in the day. Rescue operations involved Italy’s Alpine Rescue Service, France’s Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne, and Swiss Air Zermatt, coordinated by the Valle d'Aosta Unified Rescue Centre. Paolo Comune, director of the Aosta Alpine Rescue, warned that early‑season warm temperatures are creating unstable ice and rock conditions, raising the risk of further accidents.