Swiss police said the remains were found at the foot of the Matterhorn glacier, at about 2,800 metres, 45 years after they were caught in a snowstorm

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The remains of two Japanese climbers who went missing 45 years ago have been identified, months after their bones were found on a glacier under the Matterhorn mountain, Swiss police said on Thursday.

A climber found the remains in September at the foot of the Matterhorn glacier, about 2,800 metres (9,200 feet) above sea level, Valais police said. They were taken for forensic examination, and experts put together DNA profiles.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A police image showing a mountain shoe found next to the remains. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

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Police in the mountainous region keep a list of people who have been reported missing since 1925. They said that the Japanese consulate in Geneva helped them find relatives in Japan, who provided DNA that enabled them to confirm the men’s identity — one in June and the other a month later.

The Japanese foreign ministry identified them as Masayuki Kobayashi, who was 21, from Tokyo, and Michio Oikawa, then 22, from Chiba, a suburb of Tokyo.

The two were reported missing on 18 August 1970. They were caught in a snowstorm while heading to climb Matterhorn by the north face, Japan’s Kyodo News service said, citing police records.

Remains of long-missing mountaineers have increasingly surfaced as a result of receding glaciers, police said. In October, officials in Bern canton found the remains of a Czech man missing since 1974.