An Australian man has been killed in an accident on New Zealand's Aoraki Mt Cook.
Police say the 44-year-old man fell 30 to 40 metres down a crevasse in the Grand Plateau area.
The Defence department confirmed the man was an Australian soldier who was taking part in a training activity.
"As the situation is developing, Defence is unable to release any further detail of the incident at this time," it said in a statement.
New Zealand police say the man was one of a party of 10 people who'd been on the mountain.
His body has been recovered and flown back to the Mount Cook Emergency Service Centre. Police are advising his next of kin.
Alpine Guides manager Arthur McBride told AAP accidents like this happened occasionally on the mountain, but occurred anywhere there was crevasse terrain.
Mr McBride said crevasses could be invisible if snow fell over them, but if people were roped to each other they would usually be safe.
He said the accident was unrelated to the rock avalanche on the other side of the mountain on Tuesday.
At 3724 metres, Aoraki Mt Cook is New Zealand's tallest mountain.
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