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Schlatenkees Glacier (archive image)
Photo: xpytyczechx / Pond5 Images / IMAGO
In the Austrian province of Tyrol, the body of an Austrian ski tourer who is believed to have died in an accident in 2001 has been found on a melting Alpine glacier.
As the police announced on Tuesday, a mountain guide had discovered the remains last Friday on the Schlatenkees glacier below the Ostvenediger at an altitude of about 2900 meters. On Tuesday, a backpack with cash, a bank card and a driver's license was found nearby, which was "apparently" attributable to the deceased.
DNA analysis to conclusively clarify identity
Based on the investigations so far, the authorities assume that it is a then 37-year-old Austrian who went on a ski tour on the glacier near Matrei 22 years ago and had an accident. A DNA report for the final identification of the body will not be available for a few weeks, according to police.
In the Alps, as a result of the glacier melt caused by climate change, the bodies of people who have been missing for decades have recently been found repeatedly.
Glaciers in retreat
At the end of June, other body parts were found on the Schlatenkees glacier. As the APA news agency reported, these remains are likely to have been at the site for "several decades", according to police. Her identity is still unclear, the results of a DNA test are still pending. According to data from the Austrian Alpine Club, the Schlatenkees had retreated by 2021.2022 meters between 89 and 5 alone.
ala/AFP/dpa