Body found on Mt Gongga after 26 yrs

Beijing, June 12: Rescuers searching for a missing Australian climber have found a body believed to be that of a Japanese mountaineer who disappeared 26 years ago, Xinhua news agency said today.

Villagers reported the discovery on Mount Gongga to the rescuers who are searching for Andrew Clem Lindenmayer, 47, who went missing last month in southwest China's Sichuan province.

A 12-strong mountaineering team from Hokkaido, Japan, climbed Mount Gongga in May 1981, but eight members disappeared after a fall.

A rescue official said the clothing and equipment on the body indicated it might be one of the Japanese team, Xinhua said.

Gongga, Tibetan for ''highest snow-capped mountain'' attracts both tourists and mountaineers. It has more than 20 peaks above 6,000 meters, the highest at 7,556 meters.

Reuters>