FRANCE: French Alps Avalanche - 7 Climbers Killed, 1 Injured, in Pelvoux

Seven climbers were killed and one was injured by an avalanche in the French Alps on Tuesday morning, officials said.

Three rope teams were on the mountain in the Pelvoux region of southeast France when the avalanche struck, the High-Alps Prefect said in a statement. The avalanche occurred at an altitude of around 13,000 feet, it said.

Foreigners were "certainly" among the dead, the statement said, adding their nationalities would be specified at a later point. It said officials were working on identification.

Three helicopters and mountain specialists were deployed in the search, which was called off early Tuesday afternoon. The avalanche occurred around midday local time (6 a.m. ET).

The injured climber had a broken leg, the Prefect said.