During take-off the pair slid several hundred metres into the depths for reasons that are still unclear, the police reported on Thursday.
The accident occurred at around 3pm on Wednesday. The two people wanted to go on a tandem flight from the summit of the Breithorn.
According to the police, third parties witnessed the incident and immediately alerted the Valais cantonal rescue organisation. After a search by Air Zermatt, the two people were found dead.
The formal identification of the victims was still underway on Thursday afternoon, according to the cantonal police.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) initiated a routine investigation. Paragliders are considered to be aircraft, which is why the incident is being investigated for criminal acts under aviation law, the OAG informed the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA. Base jumpers and delta gliders are also considered aircraft.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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