Nepal to probe identity of body found on Everest route
Authorities begin DNA testing and appeal to expedition operators after remains are found along one of Everest’s most traversed and hazardous routes
Officials have appealed for information on missing climbers as forensic tests begin to identify an unidentified body recovered from the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest.
The body was spotted on April 23 during the spring 2025 climbing season by rope-fixing teams working between Base Camp and Camp II. However, authorities were only notified on April 28.
Given the area’s significance to international mountaineering and tourism, the Department of Tourism said the case is being treated as a high-priority humanitarian matter.
At the Department’s request, the Nepal Mountaineering Association, in coordination with the Nepal Tourism Board and the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, retrieved the remains and transported them to Kathmandu for forensic examination.
The body was brought down to Base Camp on May 1 and airlifted the same day to Lukla, before being handed over to police in Solukhumbu district. It was later transferred to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for forensic testing.
Authorities have so far been unable to identify the body through visual or physical evidence. It was partially exposed above the ice when found, which may have accelerated decomposition, making DNA testing necessary to establish the person’s identity.
Officials are working with expedition operators and trekking agencies to identify the deceased. They have urged climbers, guides, and organisers to come forward with any relevant information, particularly regarding individuals reported missing on past Himalayan expeditions.
