Two climbers died after falling more than 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) on Switzerland's iconic Matterhorn mountain, police said Friday.

Police in the southwestern Wallis canton said the two mountaineers set out early Wednesday "with the aim of climbing the Matterhorn" via the Hornli ridge.

Rescue services were alerted after they did not return to their starting point.

An Air Zermatt reconnaissance flight located the two bodies on the north face of the Matterhorn.

The public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.

"For reasons that the investigation will attempt to determine, the two climbers clearly fell more than a thousand metres," the Wallis police said.

"Formal identification of the victims is ongoing."

On the southern border with Italy, the pyramid-shaped Matterhorn is a cherished Swiss national icon. First climbed in 1865, the summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest mountains in the Alps.