Horror as three climbers within a week plunge to their deaths off Swiss Matterhorn

It attracts thousands every year, but a recent spate of tragic accidents has hit this 4478-metre mountain and police are investigating.

Three people have fallen to their deaths in the same week after attempting to climb an infamous 4478-metre mountain.

The Swiss Matterhorn attracts thousands every year, but a recent spate of tragic accidents has hit the alpine spot with cops launching an investigation.

Each of the three people died within just days of each other, with none of them yet identified.

One of them, a man, died on Friday with police saying he was likely alone on the enormous mountain.

There’s been a spate of accidents on the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Picture: iStock

He made it a whopping 3962 metres up the Matterhorn before losing his footing and falling 792 metres to a glacier below.

The other two left a hut on the mountain on Wednesday morning to make the climb down the summit.

When they failed to come back as planned, a search and rescue operation was launched.

There are fears they were caught in a storm. Picture: iStock

They were later found dead by a rescue helicopter on the north face of the enormous mountain, having fallen 975 metres.

Tragically the owner of the accommodation they were staying in said a thunderstorm had struck a few hours after they left.

“It probably caught them,” he added.

A search and rescue operation was launched when they failed to come back as planned. Picture: iStock

They had left to climb the Hornli ridge – the most popular Matterhorn route on its Swiss side.

The Matterhorn straddles the Alps border between Italy and Switzerland.

Its summit is an incredible 4478 metres above sea level, making it one of the tallest in Europe.

It has four steep faces, towering above fields of glaciers below and edged by steep ridges.

Almost 600 people have died while climbing the mountain.

Between 2500 and 3000 people try to hike it every year.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission