In a joint effort, law enforcement agencies and air service providers have initiated a mission to recover the bodies of five Russian climbers who tragically lost their lives during an expedition on Dhaulagiri, the seventh-highest peak in the world. The climbers’ bodies were discovered at an altitude of 7,100 meters.
According to Bharat Shrestha, Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office in Myagdi, a five-member Sherpa team has been dispatched to Dhaulagiri in a helicopter from Air Altitude to retrieve the bodies. The team, led by Mingma Sherpa, proprietor of Seven Summit Trek, is tasked with the recovery operation.
As of 11:00 a.m., the rescue team successfully transported one body to Italy Basecamp, and efforts are ongoing to retrieve the remaining bodies. Adverse weather conditions and the challenging terrain had delayed the recovery operation, which began after the climbers were confirmed dead on October 9.
The climbers had last made contact with authorities at 11:00 a.m. on October 7, after spending the night at the basecamp. Unfortunately, a previous attempt to retrieve the bodies via helicopter was unsuccessful, as the aircraft returned empty-handed.
The ill-fated expedition was organized by IAM Trekking & Expedition, with 14 climbers initially participating. Seven of them canceled their ascent midway, while two climbers managed to reach the summit.
Dhaulagiri, located in Dhaulagiri Municipality-14, is a renowned but challenging peak for climbers. According to the Department of Tourism, only 14 climbers had received permits for this autumn’s ascent.
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