A young man from Belgium has been unaccounted for more than 20 days since he tried to access a restricted mountainous area in southwest China, as rescuers press on with a frantic search that has so far yielded no sign of him.
On April 17, local rescue teams and officials verified that Hugo Huyghebaert went missing in the Haba Snow Mountain region over three weeks ago. Even after several rounds of search efforts, no evidence or clues regarding his location have been discovered up to now.
Insiders familiar with the case stated that the mountain is currently under tight closure: all three major climbing paths are closed, and four entry points are manned by staff members who refuse entry to anyone attempting to enter. The harsh environmental conditions make the area extremely perilous, including deep snowdrifts, strong gales, and nighttime temperatures that plummet below zero.
Prior to his disappearance, Hugo had been staying at a guesthouse in Haba Village. It is reported that around March 26, he tried to enter the mountain through two guarded checkpoints but was stopped and turned back. The following day, March 27, he disappeared without a single trace. Authorities still have no clue as to which direction he might have headed or where he could be stranded.
Rescue teams suspect that he may have strayed into an area with no mobile phone coverage, which has forced them to conduct a “blind search” across the vast, dangerous landscape—greatly hindering their rescue efforts.
His brother, uncle, and other family members have since traveled to Haba Village to help with the search. On April 16, local authorities granted the family special permission to enter the mountain, and a four-person search team has already departed to look for him.
Officials noted that during the closure period, apart from the staff stationed at the base camp, there are no other people on the mountain. The route from Haba Village to the base camp alone covers 13 kilometers, with the altitude increasing from 2,700 meters to 4,100 meters.
Numerous search operations have been carried out, but without a confirmed location for Hugo, rescuers are left to comb the mountain aimlessly—all while the window of opportunity for finding him alive continues to narrow.
