One German climber dies, one injured in Swiss mountain accident

One German mountaineer died and one was injured after an accident in the Swiss mountains, police reported on Wednesday.

The women, aged 45 and 61, were descending from the 4,010 metre high Lagginhorn in the Saas Valley when they suddenly fell hundreds of metres down the western flank in quick succession, police said.

The younger one died, the older one was flown to hospital by rescue workers. The Swiss police do not provide any information about the home towns, citing the protection of privacy.

The women were part of a group of eight climbers, the police reported. The group was not roped up. The others alerted the rescue services after the accident.

When the volunteers arrived by helicopter, they were only able to determine that the 45-year-old had died. The 61-year-old was flown to hospital injured.

The accident happened on Monday morning. As with every mountain accident, the public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the circumstances.