In a devastating turn of events, two climbing teams that went missing in treacherous weather conditions over the weekend have been discovered dead near the summit of Mont Blanc in the French Alps. Authorities have stated that the climbers perished due to exhaustion. The four mountaineers, consisting of two individuals from Italy and two from South Korea, were found on Tuesday, not far from the mountain top. The victims' identities have not been released to the public.

The climbers were reported missing on Saturday, as a fierce storm swept across the mountain. Three separate teams were reported lost, prompting a helicopter and rescue teams to launch a search operation. Fortunately, a crew of Korean climbers were found alive on Sunday morning at an altitude of 13,450 feet. Despite an Italian rescue team managing to reach the summit, they were unable to locate the missing climbers. Unfavorable weather conditions hindered further search efforts by helicopter.

During the search operation, there was a brief phone connection made with the missing Italian team, who were stranded at around 15,000 feet on the north face of the mountain. However, the connection was swiftly lost, leaving authorities grappling with limited information about their whereabouts.

On Tuesday afternoon, the bodies of the missing climbers were finally discovered and subsequently brought down from the majestic heights of Mont Blanc. "The bodies have been brought down," announced an official from the Haute-Savoie rescuers. Mont Blanc, standing at an impressive 15,800 feet, is the highest peak in the Western European Alps.

The tragic outcome of this ill-fated climbing expedition serves as a stark reminder of the immense risks involved in mountaineering, especially in unpredictable weather conditions. The thoughts and condolences of the global mountaineering community are with the families and loved ones of the deceased climbers during this difficult time.