Bodies of Climbers Found 20 Years After Deadly Avalanche

Three bodies discovered on a snowy slope of Ecuador's Chimborazo volcano could be those of climbers missing for more than 20 years after an avalanche, authorities said, according to the news agency Patria.

Mountain guides found the remains on Saturday while climbing the extinct volcano, the country's highest peak at 6,310 meters in the Andes, about 130 km south of Quito.

According to police officer in charge of missing persons Fernando de la Torre, investigators are trying to determine whether these climbers were victims of an avalanche that occurred in 1994.

The frozen bodies were found with backpacks, climbing equipment and a camera. Authorities have called on relatives of the missing to come forward to help identify the bodies.

In 1994, seven French climbers and three Ecuadorian guides died in an avalanche on Chimborazo. The results of the investigation will determine whether the discovered bodies belong to members of that expedition, Index reports.