Three French nationals from a municipality in the Alpes-Maritimes on the Italian border died after falling several hundred metres during a hike on the Italian side of the frontier, according to the Italian regional newspaper Il Secolo XIX.
The three victims, who were from the same border community, are understood to have fallen on terrain in the Italian Alps close to the French border. The exact location and circumstances of the fall are under investigation by Italian authorities.
The accident comes during a period when mountain rescue services across the Alps have been under sustained pressure from a combination of summer heat and large numbers of walkers venturing into high-altitude terrain. Conditions in the upper reaches of the Alpes-Maritimes and the adjacent Italian peaks have been affected by the ongoing heatwave, which can accelerate snow and ice melt and make paths unstable.
Source: Il Secolo XIX, faitsdivers365