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Four climbers die in Lauterbrunnen accidents

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Four climbers die in Lauterbrunnen accidents
Rottal Hut with Rotallhorn in background. Photo: Jean-Louis Pitteloud/Camptocamp.org

Four unidentified people have died in two mountain climbing accidents in the Lauterbrunnen area of the Bernese Oberland, police said on Tuesday.

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Four unidentified people have died in two mountain climbing accidents in the Lauterbrunnen area of the Bernese Oberland, police said on Tuesday.

One man died while climbing above the Rotall Hut at the foot of the Jungfrau mountain when he fell 200 metres, Bern cantonal police said.

His fall was reported to emergency services shortly after noon on Tuesday, police said.

By the time an Air Glaciers helicopter arrived the man was dead.

The day before, a group of three climbers — two women and a man — died after tumbling in the Rottal Saddle area in the municipality of Lauterbrunnen.

Police said the roped-up mountaineers were about to descend the Rottalhorn when for unexplained reasons they fell several hundred metres into a gully.

Police were notified of the incident shortly before 12.30pm.

Air Glaciers located the victims but because of the danger of rockfall could not immediately winch them into a helicopter, while also being hampered by poor weather condiitions.

The bodies were retrieved on Tuesday, police said.

The process of identifying the victims was under way. 

UPDATE: Police on Wednesday, July 9th identified the man who died on Tuesday as a 19-year-old Belgian football player.

He was climbing with another individual.

An investigation has been launched into the accident.

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