Kaski, August 27
The body of one of the two missing Spanish trekkers has been recovered, while the search continues for the other. Erik Casanovas and Molass Missy had been trekking from Birethanti to Ghorepani when they disappeared.
The tourists entered Nepal on August 22 and registered at the Birethanti checkpoint on August 25. They were reported missing shortly thereafter.
On Sunday, their unattended bags were found near the Bhurungdi River Bridge, leading to concerns that they might have been swept away by the river.
Local travellers found a rucksack, mobile phone, cap, T-shirt, and other trekking gear near Mauja Khola, close to Tikhedhunga, which led authorities to identify the missing individuals. The search effort, involving police and locals, initially focused on the river area.
Ward No. 9 Chairperson Ramesh Gurung confirmed that the missing trekkers had registered their trek at 10:21 am on the day they went missing. A team, including divers from the Armed Police Force, searched the Mauja Khola area, resulting in the recovery of Casanovas’s body approximately one and a half kilometres downstream from where their belongings were discovered.
Kaski Police Chief SP Mohan Thapa speculated that the trekkers might have fallen into the river while taking photographs due to the warm weather. The body has been sent to Pokhara Institute of Health Sciences for an autopsy, and the search for Missy is ongoing.
