Three climbers fall to their deaths on the Matterhorn in less than a week

The Matterhorn has claimed the lives of three mountaineers in less than a week, in two separate falls of around 1,000m and 800m.

According to Valais Cantonal Police, two of the climbers died on on Wednesday, before the third man to his death fell just days later. None of the climbers have yet been identified.

The famously difficult peak, on the border between Italy and Switzerland in the European Alps, has been called the “Mountain of Mountains”. Since records began, more than 600 people have died trying to climb it. According to reports in the Swiss press, there have been at least 11 deaths on the mountain this year already..

Both of these most recent accidents took place on the Hornli (NE) ridge, which is approached from Zermatt. It is the most popular route up the iconic 4,478m peak from the Swiss side.

Valais Cantonal Police say two climbers set out from Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn via the Hornli Ridge, but when they failed to return as scheduled, Air Zermatt mounted a rescue mission. They discovered the pair had fallen more than 1,000m onto the north face of the mountain.

The third victim was reported to be a solo climber who fell 800m while descending from the summit. Another climber on the same route called the emergency services, the Ansa news agency reported.

According to local authorities: “The Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation in collaboration with the Cantonal Police.”

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