Aoshan Mountain rescue concludes, final missing hiker found dead

The final person of the group of five reported missing after an unauthorized crossing of Aoshan Mountain has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff, according to authorities in Taibai county, Shaanxi province, on Wednesday.

In the early morning of Jan 2, the group evaded the climbing monitoring outpost. One left the mountain first and the other four remained missing. After a search, one was rescued and is in good condition. The remaining three are now confirmed to be deceased.

On Wednesday morning, a team of 10 professionals and four local guides, equipped with safety gear, satellite phones, and drones, set out to search for the last individual, who was confirmed dead later that day.

Local authorities plan to use drones to transport the remains of the first two victims to the mountain top, where they can be retrieved via helicopter.

Qi Zichen contributed to this story.