32 mountaineers stranded en route Mont Blanc, told to pay $110 each for rescue

Getting some offbeat stories now. For the last few days, 32 mountaineers have been stranded on Western Europe's tallest mountain because of rockfalls. Intriguingly though, they have now been asked to pay for their own rescue. This is about Morblo which is located over 4,800 meters above sea level on the border between France and Italy. It all started when two key routes leading to Morblo were closed by local authorities on the 11th of August because of rockfalls caused by the heat wave. According to reports, 32 climbers ignored this order and the advice of the local guides to continue the journey. Subsequently though, they asked for an airlift fearing the falling rocks. The mayor of San Zerwe took a strong view on this. Rather than using a state-funded rescue helicopter, he instructed a private firm to bring the stranded climbers down only if they agreed to pay about 110 US dollars each. And this sparked a major row there where such rescue operations have long been free. On his part, the mayor reportedly accused these climbers of being opportunists and dangerous people who should never try to ascend the mountain in the first place. And he stressed that they deliberately refused to listen to the warnings issued by the authorities. Not just that, he called for an end to the government paying for rescue operations as it indirectly helps insurance companies. To stay up to speed with the latest news, download the WeOn app and subscribe to our YouTube channel.