Manang, Oct 24: The bodies of two Japanese climbers who went missing while attempting to scale Mount Gangapurna in Manang district have been found at an altitude of around 6,300 metres, authorities said on Friday.
The climbers, Hidesuke Taneishi and Tetsu Hashimoto, had been out of contact since October 15 while climbing the 7,455-metre Gangapurna Himal in Gyasyang Rural Municipality 6.
Chief District Officer Mukti Prasad Khanal said the two Japanese nationals had undertaken the expedition with a Nepali guide through Kathmandu-based Cosmo Adventure Company. The search operation began after contact with the climbers was lost at around 7,050 metres.
Helicopters and rescue teams were deployed to locate the missing climbers. During the initial search, rescuers found their bags and climbing equipment, but the climbers remained unaccounted for.
“After a continuous search, both bodies were found at around 6,300 metres on the southern side of Mount Gangapurna,” Khanal said.
Authorities are preparing to transport the bodies to Kathmandu for further procedures. Autopsies will be conducted before the bodies are handed over to their families, with the process coordinated through the Japanese Embassy in Nepal.
Gangapurna, which rises to 7,455 metres in the Annapurna region, is among the high peaks climbed by mountaineers visiting Nepal. The incident adds to the risks faced by climbers attempting high-altitude expeditions in the Himalayas.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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