Latest news with #Kohistan
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A Man Was Perfectly Frozen in Ice for 28 Years. The Glacier Just Spit Him Back Out.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A 31-year-old Pakistani man, who went missing in June 1997 in an ice cave, was found perfectly preserved last week by a local sheppard. The discovery puts an end to a painful three-decade-long search for a family that tirelessly searched for his body in the mountainous Kohistan region. As glaciers retreat around the world due to climate change, discoveries of bodies or ancient artifacts will likely increase as melting ice reveals their frozen tombs. In June 1997, a 31-year-old Pakistani man by the name Naseeruddin, while traveling in the Supat Valley in the mountainous northern region of Pakistan called Kohistan, disappeared into a cave never to be seen again. He left behind a wife and two children, and for years, the family of the missing man searched the area for any sign of him—ultimately, to no avail. 'Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,' Malik Ubaid, the nephew of the deceased, told the AFP. 'Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn't possible.' After nearly three decades, the search for Naseeruddin has finally come to an end. On July 31, a local shepherd in the valley named Omar Khan discovered the missing man's body, with an identity card still on him. But that wasn't the only surprise. 'What I saw was unbelievable,' Khan told BBC Urdu. 'The body was intact. The clothes were not even torn.' For 28 years, Naseeruddin lay mummified in the glacial ice. He underwent a quick freezing process that then protected the body from moisture and oxygen. Pakistan is home to some 7,000 glaciers—the largest amount outside of Earth's polar regions—and like many glaciers around the world, these ice giants are slowly disappearing due to anthropogenic climate change. In northern Pakistan, climate change has caused decreased snowfall in the region, leading to more direct sunlight melting the glaciers. This unnatural warming is what eventually exposed Naseeruddin's body, allowing the passing shepherd to finally put a painful mystery to rest. 'Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body,' Ubaid said. Glaciers and other icy bodies, such as ice sheets, are basically planetary time capsules. Scientists around the world frequently drill ice cores to measure past climactic events by analyzing trapped air bubbles, as well as the isotropic composition of the surrounding ice. They can also provide incredible glimpses into humanity's past. While many amazing artifacts have been found encased in glacial ice, the most famous frozen finding is Ötzi, also known as The Iceman, who was found in the Italian Alps in 1991 with his soft tissues and organs intact. This discovery provided an unprecedented glimpse into life and times and neolithic Europe. While glaciers are amazing at preserving soft tissue (scientists even know what Ötzi's last meal was), they aren't as effective as cryogenic freezing, which can perfectly preserve an organism. This is why Ötzi, as well as other bodies of frozen WWI soldiers discovered in 2017, still show signs of decomposition and dehydration. Sadly, Naseeruddin's fate is one shared by many intrepid explorers who venture into these dangerous and cold altitudes. Last year, National Geographic reported the partial recovery of mountaineer Sandy Irvine, who disappeared on Everest a century ago. In fact, crews regularly conducted clean-up campaigns on the world's tallest peak, often finding long-lost climbers frozen along the mountainside. With glaciers rapidly in retreat around the world, we'll soon see what other mysteries—both tragic and wondrous—that may lay hidden at the top of the world. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Perfectly mummified body found in glacier 28 years later
A hiker who went missing in Pakistan 28 years ago was found dead inside an icy glacier - with his body and clothes shockingly well-preserved. Naseeruddin, also known as Hajo, was discovered on August 1 in the remote Lady Valley of Kohistan, in eastern Pakistan, nearly three decades after he vanished. A local shepherd named Umar Khan, who frequents the area during summer, found the man's perfectly mummified body (preserved in ice). A national identity card in the pocket confirmed the man's identity as Naseeruddin, who was 33 at the time of his disappearance. He was the son of Bahram from the Saleh Khel tribe. Local witnesses said the body's clothing and features were largely intact, protected by the glacier's extreme conditions. Naseeruddin disappeared in 1997 while returning from Sapit Valley with his horse. Family members reported that he had fallen into a glacial fissure, and extensive searches at the time yielded no results. The recent thawing of the glacier exposed the body, prompting renewed attention to a case long buried by time. Naseeruddin's family had relocated from Pallas Valley to Alai Tehsil years after his disappearance, following a violent family dispute. His younger brother Gardezi was killed in what was described as an honour-related conflict, and both Naseeruddin and another brother, Kaseeruddin, went into hiding. Retired police officer Abdul Aziz recalled that the region had minimal law enforcement presence in the late 1990s, leaving many crimes unresolved. Bahram, Naseeruddin's father, was arrested but later released due to the plaintiff's lack of interest in pursuing the case. Kaseeruddin, who was with Naseeruddin during the 1997 journey, told The Express Tribune that they had chosen a secluded route to avoid danger. He remembered hearing gunfire and said Naseeruddin tried to hide in a cold cave but was never seen again. Meanwhile, a symbolic funeral prayer was held at the site after initial searches failed to recover the body. Now, with the remains found, Kaseeruddin has returned to Lady Valley to decide whether to bury his brother there or transport him to their ancestral home. Experts say the glacier's cold, dry, and oxygen-poor environment can naturally preserve human remains for decades. Dr Muhammad Bilal of COMSATS University Abbottabad explained that such conditions lead to mummification. Dr Adnan Ahmad Tahir noted that glaciers in northern Pakistan are melting rapidly, revealing long-hidden artefacts and remains. July 2025 brought record-breaking temperatures to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, accelerating the melt. Lady Valley, known for its pastures, lakes, and forests, remains a seasonal destination for local herders. According to Kohistan Additional Deputy Commissioner Aminul Hassan, reaching the valley requires a three-hour drive followed by a gruelling fifteen to eighteen-hour hike.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Body of missing man found on melting glacier after 28 years
Kohistan is a mountainous region in Pakistan located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (EPA Images pic) KHAPLU : The family of a missing man whose body was discovered on a melting glacier in Pakistan after 28 years said today its recovery had brought them some relief. The body of 31-year-old Nasiruddin was spotted by locals near the edge of the shrinking Lady Meadows glacier in the Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. His family said he and his brother had fled to the mountains after a dispute in their village in 1997 when he fell into a crevasse. His brother survived. 'Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,' Malik Ubaid, the nephew of the deceased, told AFP over the phone. 'Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn't possible.' Nasiruddin, who went by one name, was a husband and father of two children. His well-preserved body, still carrying an identity card, was found on July 31 by a local shepherd and buried yesterday. 'Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body,' Ubaid said. Kohistan is a mountainous region where the outer reaches of the Himalayas stretch. Pakistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers, more than anywhere else on Earth outside the poles. Rising global temperatures linked to human-driven climate change, however, are causing the glaciers to rapidly melt.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Malay Mail
Body found on melting Pakistani glacier 28 years after man went missing
KHAPLU (Pakistan), Aug 7 — The family of a missing man whose body was discovered on a melting glacier in Pakistan after 28 years said Thursday its recovery had brought them some relief. The body of 31-year-old Nasiruddin was spotted by locals near the edge of the shrinking Lady Meadows glacier in the Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. His family said he and his brother had fled to the mountains after a dispute in their village in 1997 when he fell into a crevasse. His brother survived. 'Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years,' Malik Ubaid, the nephew of the deceased, told AFP over the phone. 'Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn't possible.' Nasiruddin, who went by one name, was a husband and father of two children. His well-preserved body, still carrying an identity card, was found on July 31 by a local shepherd and buried on Wednesday. 'Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body,' Ubaid said. Kohistan is a mountainous region where the outer reaches of the Himalayas stretch. Pakistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers, more than anywhere else on Earth outside the poles. Rising global temperatures linked to human-driven climate change, however, are causing the glaciers to rapidly melt. — AFP
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Intact body of missing father found on melting Pakistan glacier 28 years after he vanished
The family of a missing man whose body was discovered on a melting glacier in Pakistan after 28 years said Thursday its recovery had brought them some relief. The body of 31-year-old Nasiruddin was spotted by locals near the edge of the shrinking Lady Meadows glacier in the Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. His family said he and his brother had fled to the mountains after a dispute in their village in 1997 when he fell into a crevasse. His brother survived. "Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years," Malik Ubaid, the nephew of the deceased, told AFP over the phone. "Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn't possible." Nasiruddin, who went by one name, was a husband and father of two children. His well-preserved body, still carrying an identity card, was found on July 31 by a local shepherd and buried on Wednesday. "The body was intact. The clothes were not even torn," Omar Khan, a local resident who found the remains, told BBC Urdu. Hi family expressed gratitude after the discovery. "Finally, we have got some relief after the recovery of his dead body," Ubaid said. Kohistan is a mountainous region where the outer reaches of the Himalayas stretch. Pakistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers, more than anywhere else on Earth outside the poles. Rising global temperatures linked to human-driven climate change, however, are causing the glaciers to rapidly melt. As glaciers increasingly melt and recede around the world, there has been an increase in discoveries of the remains of hikers, skiers and other climbers who went missing decades ago. In July 2024, the preserved body of an American mountaineer was found 22 years after he disappeared while scaling a snowy peak in Peru was found. The month before that, five frozen bodies were retrieved from Mount Everest— including one that was just skeletal remains — as part of Nepal's mountain clean-up campaign on Everest and adjoining peaks Lhotse and Nuptse. In 2023, the remains of a German climber who went missing in 1986 were recovered on a glacier in the Swiss Alps. In 2017, Italian mountain rescue crews recovered the remains of hikers on a glacier on Mont Blanc's southern face likely dating from the 1980s or 1990s. Just a few weeks later, the remains of a climber discovered in the Swiss Alps were identified as a British mountaineer who went missing in 1971, local police said Thursday. That same year, a shrinking glacier in Switzerland revealed the bodies of a frozen couple who went missing in 1942. Police told local media that their bodies were discovered near a ski lift on the glacier by a worker for an adventure resort company. In 2016, the bodies of a renowned mountain climber and expedition cameraman who were buried in a Himalayan avalanche in 1999 were found partially melting out of a glacier.
