Monk missing during Mardi Trekking found dead

Kaski, May 16: A tourist who had reportedly gone missing during the Mardi Peak trek since May 13 was found dead. He has been identified as Monk Dhamisaro from Sangharam Buddha Bihar (Monastery) in Kathmandu.

During a search operation assisted by security personnel and local tourism entrepreneurs, his lifeless body was recovered in a gorge beneath a hill at the Upper Viewpoint area of the Mardi Peak.  

Mardi Trek Management Committee Chair Raj Kumar Tamang confirmed that the team found the body. Traces on the snow surface provided clues for the rescue team during the search. The team noticed human clothing deep down from the cliff and it took them three hours to climb down to the site. 

Due to the difficult terrain, it did not seem possible to recover the body manually, said Tamang. Until the filing of this report, the helicopter was not available for the rescue. The team reported the incident to the administration, police and the respective local government, requesting an urgent helicopter rescue. They waited at the site for four hours for the chopper before returning to the high-camp. 

The Monk had spent his night at the low-camp on May 12. The next day, he reached the Mardi's View Point at an altitude of 4,200 meters above the sea level. He reportedly told locals that he would return after sightseeing the surroundings.  However, when he did not return by the evening, locals began searching for him. (RSS)