The body was discovered by a local shepherd named Omar Khan. While traveling through Lady Valley - a remote land with few people setting foot, he suddenly saw an intact body, clothes that had not been torn, and a recognizable face.
"What I saw was unbelievable. The body was intact, the clothes were not torn" - Khan recounted.
Next to the body, police found an old ID card in the name of Naseeruddin - who was reported missing in June 1997 after falling into a stream while traveling in the area.
After verifying his identity, the police contacted Mr. Naseeruddin's relatives and learned that at the time of his disappearance, he and his brother Kathiruddin had left home due to family conflicts. They rode their horses through the valley and in the afternoon, Naseeruddin entered an ice cave. The brother waited for a long time but could not see her return, so he called on the villagers to search but was hopeless.
Nearly three decades later, Naseeruddin's body has just returned to light thanks to another harsh condition, climate change.
According to Professor Muhammad Bilal - Head of the Department of Environment at Comsats University Islamabad, when a body falls into an ice crack, the extremely low temperature causes the decomposition process to stop. The diluted air and lack of moisture gradually made the body naturally marinated, keeping the shape and costume almost intact.
"This is a clear testament to the accelerating rate of ice melting due to global warming. This area used to have snow all year round, but in recent years, the sharp decrease in snowfall has caused the ice to melt and melt faster," Mr. Bilal warned.
After the news spread, local people shared more details about the life of Naseeruddin - who had a wife and two young children before the accident. Now, although his body has been found, the memory of his disappearance is still an endless pain for relatives.
