Climbers’ bodies found on Ecuador volcano after 20 years

QUITO, Ecuador — Three bodies found on Ecuador’s Chimborazo Volcano are believed to be those of climbers who went missing some 20 years ago in an avalanche, officials said Sunday.

Mountain guides located the remains Saturday at an altitude of 5,650 meters (18,540 feet) during a climb on the volcano, which soars to 6,310 meters (20,700 feet) high in the Andes, about 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Quito.

A missing persons police official, Fernando De la Torre, said investigators were working to determine if the remains were those of the climbers that went missing in the avalanche that hit between 1994 and 1995.

The frozen remains were found with backpacks, climbing gear and a film camera.

Snowcapped Chimborazo is Ecuador’s highest currently inactive volcano.

 See also: Volcanic ash rains on central Ecuador, blanketing farms