Two Korean Bodies Found in Mont Blanc, France Rescue Operation

Found Three Days After Losing Contact
Seemingly Caught in Sudden Weather Deterioration

Two Koreans who went missing while climbing Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the European Alps located in France, were eventually found dead.

On the 11th, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the Korean Embassy in France, that "the two Koreans who were reported missing on the 7th (local time) were confirmed dead three days after losing contact." The Korean Embassy in France stated that French rescue authorities discovered the bodies of two Koreans near a slope close to the summit of Mont Blanc at around 1:15 PM the previous day.

Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps in France [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

The location where they were found is believed to be similar to the distress location reported to the French authorities by the embassy after receiving the missing persons report on the 7th. Mont Blanc stands at 4,807 meters and is the highest peak in the Alps. It is presumed that the Korean climbers were caught in a sudden deterioration of weather conditions.

Local authorities handed over the bodies to a nearby funeral service and plan to confirm their identities through the group that visited France with them. Meanwhile, the Korean Embassy has informed the families of the deceased about the recovery of the bodies and plans to support the families with necessary procedures going forward.

The deceased are reported to be a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s. They had visited the Chamonix-Mont Blanc area with five other members of the same mountaineering club when the accident occurred.

Among the total group of seven, three did not climb, while four ascended Mont Blanc on the 7th. The three who did not climb reported the accident to the local consular officer on the same day, judging that the four climbers had encountered an accident.

Of the four, two were unable to descend due to worsening weather and were rescued by a mountain helicopter at an altitude of 4,100 meters on the following day, the 8th. According to local media reports, the remaining two, who were Italian, were also found dead.