The death of an 85-year old Swiss photographer who died of hypothermia after collapsing on a busy Paris street and being ignored for 9 hours has elicited sadness, outrage, and astonishment in France and elsewhere.

A Swiss photographer, René Robert, famed for his images of Spain's most famous flamenco stars, fell in a crowded Paris neighborhood after he suffered a dizzy spell on Rue de Turbigo. 

According to journalist Micheal Mompontet, a friend of Robert's, he was unable to get up and lay "rooted to the spot in the cold for nine hours until a homeless person called the emergency services." 

Astonished, Mompontet added that not a single passerby stopped to see why he was lying on the floor.

On France TV Info, he added that his friend was "killed by indifference. If this awful death could serve some purpose, it would be this: when a human is lying on the pavement, we should check on them – no matter how busy we may be. Let’s just stop for a second.”

Mompontet considered a worrying reality and questioned his own conscience as well as the general public's, saying he was unsure if he himself would have stopped if confronted with the scene. 

The incident has triggered a discussion about civic accountability and fundamental human decency.

The Olivar Association, which has dealt with young homeless persons in Madrid for over 30 years, expressed sadness but not surprise. It described the tragic occurrence as "the cruel, day-to-day experience of those who live and die on the street. What is happening to us as a society that something like this can happen?”

Every year, 600 people perish on France's streets, according to homeless organizations.