Chilling discovery in the Himalayas: Climbers find bodies buried in the snow
At an altitude of 5,000 meters, local residents climbing in the Himalayas discovered the remains of mountaineers who went missing during an avalanche last November. Nepalese police have resumed recovery efforts, though severe weather is currently hampering helicopter access.
"Recovering the remains": The remains of five mountaineers, who went missing in a deadly avalanche at the Himlung Himal peak in the Himalayas last November, were located on Friday as seasonal snow melted, according to Nepalese police.
"We received a report that five bodies were located in the area where the climbers had been missing since last year. We are currently in the process of recovering the remains," said Deputy Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Lama in a phone call to the Anadolu Agency.
Lama, who serves as the district police chief, noted that the climbers were buried under the snow when the avalanche struck last November. Their remains became visible only after the seasonal snow and ice receded. The climbers were attempting to reach the mountain peak when they were caught in the disaster.
The remains were found after local residents climbing in the area spotted what appeared to be bodies and immediately alerted the police. The site is located at an altitude of approximately 5,000 meters near the Himlung Himal base camp.
A team dispatched to the site shortly after the avalanche had previously recovered the bodies of Italian climber Paolo Cocco and French climber Christian Andre Manfredi. However, five other climbers—three foreign nationals and two Nepalese—remained buried, and the rescue mission was eventually halted after initial efforts failed.
Police renewed the operation after the local residents identified the remains. A rescue team attempted to reach the site by helicopter on Friday morning, but harsh weather conditions prevented the aircraft from landing.
Stormy weather
"Locals who scanned the area hit by the avalanche identified the bodies and alerted us," said Lama. "We deployed a rescue team and a helicopter, but the helicopter could not land there today due to the stormy weather."
He added that the helicopter, stationed at the base of the mountain, is scheduled to launch on Saturday to recover the remaining remains.
