A man and a woman died after falling off a snow mountain in southwest China's Yunnan Province Friday, police said Monday.

The two climbers had ascended the top of Haba Snow Mountain in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Deqen when the woman fell off the peak and died at the scene. The man fell while trying to save her, a spokesman with the Deqen Public Security Bureau said.

He said the woman was from central China's Hunan Province and the man was a native of Yunnan. They were traveling with five other hikers who did not know each other but had arranged the trip together via an online forum.

The spokesman said the team hired three local guides but did not register at the local sports administration.

In China, hikers are requested to make registrations before climbing mountains over 3,500 meters tall. In the Tibet Autonomous Region, however, registrations are required only for mountains of over 5,000 meters tall.

Family members of the two victims arrived on Saturday and claimed their bodies Sunday, the spokesman said.

Haba Snow Mountain is 5,396 meters tall in the heart of Shangri-La, a county in Deqen. At least 500 climbers from China and abroad have ascended its top in the past decade.

Two climbers died after falling off the mountain in 2006.

Go to Forum >>0 Comments