Bodies of seven climbers have been found following an avalanche in the French Alps.
Rescuers are trying to establish whether any others lost their lives in the tragedy, which occurred in the Massif des Ecrins, southeast of Grenoble, yesterday afternoon.
Eye-witnesses say a group of eight climbers roped together was directly hit by the avalanche. The bodies of seven have been recovered and one survived, but with serious injuries.
Five of the climbers are believed to be German and three are from the Czech Republic.
Two other groups were also climbing when the avalanche struck, leading to fears there might be more casualties.
The avalanche started at around 12 noon from a height of just over 4,000 metres.
