This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18825414#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Alps avalanche: Dead UK climbers named | Alps avalanche: Dead UK climbers named |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Two British climbers killed in an avalanche in the French Alps have been named by the Foreign Office. | Two British climbers killed in an avalanche in the French Alps have been named by the Foreign Office. |
| John Taylor and Steve Barber were among nine people killed on Mont Maudit, near Chamonix, on Thursday. | |
| It is believed they were from Poppleton, a village west of York. | |
| A third Briton killed in the avalanche was named on Thursday evening as experienced climber Roger Payne, who had been working as a guide. | |
| Mr Payne, originally from Hammersmith in west London, was a former general secretary of the British Mountaineering Council. | |
| The trio had been part of a 28-person strong group, traversing Mont Maudit before dawn in an attempt to reach the summit of Mont Blanc. | The trio had been part of a 28-person strong group, traversing Mont Maudit before dawn in an attempt to reach the summit of Mont Blanc. |
| Nine people in total were killed, including two from Spain, three Germans and one Swiss, according to the Prefecture de la Haute-Savoie. | Nine people in total were killed, including two from Spain, three Germans and one Swiss, according to the Prefecture de la Haute-Savoie. |
| 'Strong links' | |
| Ian Gillies, the local councillor for Poppleton, said the news of the two men's deaths was "devastating". | |
| "It is a very close-knit community and I believe they [the climbers] had even stronger links with the school. I believe they were raising money but whether it was for the school or not I'm not certain." | |
| Cllr James Alexander, Labour leader of City of York Council, said: "I am deeply saddened by the news that two Poppleton residents lost their lives in Thursday's avalanche in Chamonix. | |
| "I would like to offer their families and friends my condolences and offer any support and assistance we can provide at this difficult time." | |
| The party are believed to have reached 4,000m (13,120ft) when the avalanche struck. | The party are believed to have reached 4,000m (13,120ft) when the avalanche struck. |
| The alarm was sounded at 05:25 local time (04:25 BST) by an injured climber on the route, which is popular with tourists trekking towards nearby Mont Blanc. | The alarm was sounded at 05:25 local time (04:25 BST) by an injured climber on the route, which is popular with tourists trekking towards nearby Mont Blanc. |