2 climbers die in accident on Switzerland’s Matterhorn

BERLIN – Swiss police say two climbers have died in an accident on the upper reaches of the famed Matterhorn mountain.

Police in Valais canton (state) said Thursday that the two men, one of them a mountain guide, were hit by a falling rock and fell. The accident happened on Wednesday morning at around 4,250 metres (13,950 feet) above sea level and the bodies were recovered from a spot around 3,600 metres (11,800 feet) altitude on Wednesday evening.

Authorities were in the process of formally identifying the victims. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the rock fall.

The Matterhorn, whose peak is 4,478 metres (14,692 feet) above sea level, is one of the highest and most famous peaks in the Alps. It straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy.