Rescuers have located the bodies of eight climbers missing after an avalanche in the French Alps but said it was too dangerous to attempt their extraction.
Flying over the scene of Sunday's avalanche on Mont Blanc du Tacul, they used radio frequencies to pick up signals sent by the climbers' safety transmitters.
Dangerous snow conditions prevented the retrieval of the bodies, some of which have fallen into a deep crevasse.
Investigators have identified the missing bodies as an Austrian guide, his four German clients, a Swiss guide and a Swiss couple.
Rescue teams are continuing to search for other possible victims who may have also stayed in the mountain refuge, which the eight climbers left around 3am Sunday.
Officials do not think there are any more missing people.
Around 30 people have died in accidents in the French Alps this summer, the majority while climbing Mont-Blanc. A further 60 have perished in the Italian and Swiss Alps.
