Six climbers were found dead in the French Alps on Sunday, a day after they are believed to have been killed in an avalanche, local officials said.
A hiker came across the bodies of the climbers on a summit in Ecrins Massif in the Upper Alps and notified emergency services.
Their bodies were taken by helicopter to the village of Villar-d'Arene five kilometres away.
The identity of the victims had not yet been established.
The mayor of Villar-d'Arene, himself a mountain guide, said he thought they had likely been hit by falling snow and stones.
Avalanches in the French Alps regularly kill skiers and climbers. - Sapa-dpa