Three climbers died in a fall while descending a steep gulley in an area near North Early Winters Spire in Washington state's North Cascades National Park, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office said. The incident took place on Sunday, May 11, at around 11:30 a.m. and involved a party of four climbers.

Authorities said the cause of the fall is believed to be anchor failure while the climbers rappelled a steep gulley.

Three rock climbers were killed over the weekend in a climbing accident in the North Cascade mountains in Washington state, as investigators look into equipment failure.