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Police identify two Belgian climbers who disappeared in the Swiss Alps 34 years ago after being revealed by melting ice.

Wallis police confirmed that the bodies of two Belgian climbers, who went missing in 1992, were finally recovered from the Trift Glacier in southern Switzerland. A hiker discovered the remains on July 26, after the two men were caught by poor weather while attempting to climb the summit of the Weissmies. DNA profiles from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Wallis Hospital in Sion formally identified the mountaineers, who were 39 and 41 years old at the time of their disappearance. While search operations had previously located a rucksack, the bodies remained hidden under the ice for over three decades. The discovery highlights the ongoing effects of climate change, as retreating glaciers increasingly reveal the remains of people who disappeared in mountainous regions. Wallis police maintain a list of missing persons dating back to 1925, and similar discoveries have been made in various glaciers across the globe, including in Peru and Antarctica.

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