Discovered Remains of Unlocated Alpine Climbers
Since the past weekend, a group of mountaineers from Italy and South Korea have been unaccounted for on Mont Blanc. On the following day, two South Korean individuals were successfully rescued. Unfortunately, the likelihood of survival for the remaining four individuals is grim; the rescue teams can only recover their remains.
On Tuesday, a rescue helicopter managed to land near the peak, where the bodies of the missing climbers were located close to the summit. The Haute-Savoie prefecture made the announcement. These bodies were discovered in the vicinity of Mur de la Côte, a challenging icy slope leading to Mont Blanc's summit on the French side, according to Alpine police of Chamonix as reported by "Frankfurter Rundschau." The recovery and transportation of the deceased climbers to the valley were completed.
Chamonix's Alpine police speculate that the four mountaineers may have succumbed to exhaustion and fatigue. Their families have been notified of the tragic developments.
Initially, on Saturday, three separate rope teams had gone missing under adverse weather conditions. The Italian climbers were reportedly unaccompanied by a guide. Despite their best efforts, two South Koreans were safely retrieved on Sunday. The rescue efforts were significantly hampered by the unfavorable weather conditions.
The last known communication with the two Italian mountaineers occurred on Saturday when they were located around 4,600 meters in height on the Mont Blanc's north face.
A Season of Misfortunes
This summer has been marked by numerous fatal accidents on Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe. In particular, the Couloir du Gouter route leading to the summit has been the site of several incidents. A week ago, a 35-year-old Romanian mountaineer tragically passed away following a technical issue in Couloir du Gouter, which infamously bears the name "death corridor."
At the beginning of August, two German climbers went missing after a fall from a glacier at the base of the Mont Blanc massif. Regrettably, the search for them was called off without any positive results. Global warming is contributing to the retreat of permafrost, leading to the increased loosening of large rocks.
The missing climbers who were unaccounted for, including the Italian mountaineers, were identified as part of The Swiss Alpine Club's team. Despite their advanced rescue equipment and expertise, the challenging terrain and weather conditions made it difficult to reach the climbers in time.
