5 climbers die on France's Mont Blanc: Source

LYON - The bodies of five climbers were found on Wednesday on France's Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

Six members of a group, including one guide, have been missing since Tuesday evening amid bad weather.

The group had set out to climb the "Aiguille d'Argentiere" peak on the Mont Blanc massif, which stands at 3902 metres (12,801 feet).

There have been several deaths this climbing season on the mountain, sparking fears among professional guides that Mont Blanc is fast becoming a tourist "free-for-all".

Two Belgians were found dead on August 2 and six climbers died between July 15 and 30 - two Irish, two Finns, a German and a French person.

A US climber sparked outrage earlier this month when he tried to climb the mountain with his nine-year-old son P.J. and 11-year-old daughter Shannon.

The family escaped uninjured, but video footage of the incident in a spot known as the "Corridor of Death" caused an outcry when it was broadcast in the US last month.