AN IRISH WOMAN has reportedly died after suffering a fall in a popular rock climbing area near Malaga in southern Spain.

The victim, aged 21, was killed after falling around 500ft.

Her body was recovered by emergency services after the alarm was raised shortly after 7pm yesterday.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs told The Journal they are aware of the case and providing consular assistance.

A male who also fell during the incident survived by grabbing onto a rock. He was said to be in a state of shock when he was rescued.

The incident occurred near the village of El Chorro, close to the famous Caminito del Rey pathway. The spot the climbers were in is called the Swiss Sector, close to a hiking area called the Arabic Staircase.

The mountaineers are understood to have spent the day in the area and, on the way back, took the wrong route by mistake.

The male survivor told police they lost their balance and went over the side of a ravine.

Local press initially reported that the victim was British. However, this afternoon the Civil Guard, the police force investigating the incident, confirmed she was an Irish national.

A spokesman for the force in Malaga said: “I can confirm the woman who died was an Irish 21-year-old.”

It was not immediately clear if she was on holiday in the area or lived in Spain.

Last month, a British climber died in the same area.

That tragedy occurred on 11 December when a man aged in his 20s fell in an area known as Puente del Mono, which translates as Monkey Bridge, close to the village of El Chorro.

With additional reporting by Órla Ryan