A 24-year-old Austrian climber suffered severe injuries after a 40-meter fall during a climbing expedition in Innsbruck.

The accident occurred early Saturday morning on the Westpfeiler route at the western base of the 2,393-meter Kumpfkarspitze.

The climber, accompanied by a 23-year-old, had just completed the first pitch when the pitons he had set gave way, causing him to plummet.

He initially landed on a snowfield before falling an additional three meters to the ground.

Emergency services quickly responded, airlifting him to a hospital in Innsbruck for treatment.

The climbers had begun their ascent from a bivouac at the long saddle.