Two Irish men have been killed on Mont Blanc. They lost their lives in a fall on the French mountain yesterday.

Their identities have not yet been officially released but they are aged in their 30s and 50s.

It is believed they were on a climbing holiday in the Alps.

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and the European Union. It is 4,810 metres above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world.

The mountain lies in a range called the Graian Alps, between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is providing consular assistance to their families, including through the embassy in Paris.

CBS News correspondent Elaine Cobbe is in France and has spoken to local police. She spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime.

Adventurer Pat Falvey has climbed Mont Blanc many times. He says it is a serious mountain and the dangers should not be underestimated.