Five bodies spotted near Yalung-Ri peak await official identification after helicopter rescue halted

August 10, Kathmandu: Search and recovery operations at Yalung-Ri Peak in the Rolwaling region were suspended as severe weather grounded rescue helicopters attempting to retrieve five bodies recently spotted near base camp.

Local residents in Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9 reported sighting the remains, which authorities believe belong to five foreign climbers missing since an avalanche struck the 5,630-meter peak on November 3, 2025. Bad weather has prevented a recovery team deployed by Dream Destination from reaching the site to confirm identities, according to District Police Office Dolakha.

The avalanche originally trapped a 15-member expedition of Nepali and foreign climbers, resulting in eight rescues and two confirmed fatalities—identified as Padam Tamang of Dolakha and Mere Karki of Solukhumbu.

The remaining five missing mountaineers include Manfredi Cristina Andre of France, Paolo Cocco and Marcos Kirchler of Italy, Jakob Isriwer of Germany, and Marco Di Marcello of Canada. Search efforts were called off last November due to heavy snowfall, with local officials anticipating the remains would resurface during the seasonal thaw.