A British hiker Sunday found the bodies of six French mountain climbers who fell to their deaths in the Alps.

Local officials call it one of the worst mountain accidents in years.

The hiker found the bodies in a narrow ravine on the Neige Cordier peak, at an altitude of about 3,000 meters. Officials say the six had been dead at least 24 hours.

Police say the cause of the accident is under investigation, but say that skies were clear at the time it happened.

They say the six climbers were tethered together in two separate groups and fell about 200 meters.