Binoculars were also found near the human remains
Canton Valais Police
British climbers on the Aletsch glacier in canton Valais have discovered the remains of up to four people, which are believed to date back to the 1920s.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The skeletons were found on Thursday on the glacier, all within a radius of 50 square metres, according to Markus Rieder, police spokesman for Valais cantonal police.
Also found in the area were pieces of clothing, binoculars, a pocket watch, a tobacco pipe, snowshoes, wooden walking sticks and a leather wallet containing coins worth SFr9, the newest being from the year 1921.
Formal identification is expected to take several weeks. The bodies are currently being examined by forensics and the criminal technical department of the cantonal police.
The local Walliser Bote newspaper reported that the remains may have belonged to four hikers who disappeared in March 1926 after bad weather interrupted their climb.
DNA testing will be used to tell whether the remains are indeed those of the four climbers. Although the missing men were young at the time and did not have children, their many nieces and nephews still live in the area.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
Luxury heir claims his CHF11 billion Hermès fortune has vanished
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Aletsch glacier UNESCO bid out of deep freeze
This content was published on
In a vote on Tuesday, the government of canton Valais proposed expanding the protected area under its jurisdiction from 288 to 401 square kilometres. In its decision, the canton decided to exclude a controversial 90 hectares where the commune of Ried-Morel wants to build a cable-car connection. However, the decision is unlikely to satisfy Ried-Morel.…
This content was published on
Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology found that of 76 glaciers studied, 68 showed clear signs of melting. Only three glaciers gained in size while five remained the same as in 1999. Martin Hoelzle, a hydrology and glaciology expert who participated in the study, says that melting ice causes lakes to form on…
This content was published on
At the end of July a mitten, a 40-year-old camera and a human bone were recovered in one location on the spectacular Gorner glacier above Zermatt. According to Patrick Rovina, a scientific expert with the Valais cantonal police, such discoveries are a growing phenomenon. “Over recent years with the retreat of the glaciers automatically things…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.