Five bodies have been recovered from the Yalung Ri Base Camp in the Rolwaling Himalayan range of Dolakha District in Nepal, rekindling hopes of settling a tragic mountaineering incident that occurred during an avalanche last year. District Police Office, Dolakha said that the bodies were found after snow melted in the area. The remains were found Thursday and the local residents immediately wrote to the authorities informing them. The bodies are believed to be of five foreign climbers lost in an avalanche while trying to climb Yalung Ri on October 19, 2025, officials said. But police said the bodies’ identities could not be confirmed until a formal identification process had been completed.
Avalanche Claimed Seven Lives During 2025 Expedition
Last October a climbing team was hit by a deadly avalanche as they tried to scale Yalung Ri. The avalanche trapped seven people, five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides. The bodies of the two Nepali guides were then recovered but the five foreign climbers are still missing despite efforts to find them.
Names of the deceased victims have been identified as Mere Karki of Mapya Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality-5, Solukhumbu and Padam Tamang of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9, Dolakha. The missing climbers included two Italian nationals, one Canadian, one French, and one German.
Rescue Team Forced to Return Due to Bad Weather
A police team was flown to Yalung Ri Base Camp by helicopter on Friday to recover the bodies. However, deteriorating weather conditions prevented the operation from being completed. Authorities said the team had to return without retrieving the remains, adding that the recovery mission will resume as soon as weather conditions improve.
Identification Process to Follow Recovery
Police officials have stated that it is still too early to confirm whether the newly discovered bodies are those of the climbers who disappeared in the 2025 avalanche. Once the remains are recovered from the mountain they will be identified. Officials have assured that all five bodies will be removed from the base camp when weather permits the rescue teams to safely conduct the recovery operation.
Recovery May Bring Closure to Year-Long Tragedy
The discovery of the bodies marks a significant development in one of Nepal’s tragic mountaineering incidents of 2025. If the remains are confirmed to belong to the missing foreign climbers, the recovery will provide long-awaited answers to their families and conclude a search that has continued for nearly a year after the deadly avalanche in the Rolwaling region.
