German climber dies after falling from Italian peak

A German tourist died after falling on the Monviso mountain in the northwestern Italian Alps on Thursday, Italy's alpine rescue service told AFP.

The climber in his 50s fell several dozen metres at dawn while on the Passo delle Sagnette, at an altitude of around 2,900 metres (9,500 feet).

He was travelling with his daughter and another group of people, who were evacuated by helicopter.

Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of day-trippers to the Monviso, close to the French border, has risen, especially during the holidays and summer months.

"It often happens that groups of climbers who are not experts get stuck against a wall and are rescued by helicopter," said Simone Bobbio of the alpine rescue service.