Falling ice boulders kill two, hurt nine in Switzerland

Falling ice boulders killed two climbers and hurt nine more on a peak in southwestern Switzerland on Friday, prompting a major rescue operation, police said.

Several chunks of ice fell off the Grand Combin mountain in the Val de Bagnes region of Valais canton, pummeling the climbers below.

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Seven rescue helicopters scrambled to the site, evacuating others of the 17 climbers who were at the scene in various groups.

The two who died were a 40-year-old French national and a 65-year-old Spaniard, police said. Two of the nine hurt sustained serious injuries.