Guatemala: German tourist found dead in national park

Ruins of Mayan temples in Tikal (archive image)

Photo: Stringer ./ REUTERS

A German was found dead in the Tikal National Park in Guatemala.

The deceased was a 53-year-old missing since Sunday, said the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture.

According to local media, it is a doctor from northern Germany.

In the national park there are ruins from the Maya period that are popular with tourists.

The man had visited the national park and, according to his companions, separated from the group to explore the park alone, the ministry said. The military involved in the search for the missing person published pictures of the dead on one leafy and tree-lined path can be seen.

According to the ministry, the cause of death has not yet been clarified.

Public prosecutor's office and forensic medicine investigate.

Meanwhile, the German embassy in Guatemala regretted in an obituary published in Spanish on the Internet on Tuesday, "the outcome of the search for the German citizen in Tikal."

"We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased," added the message and thanked the emergency services involved in the search.

ala / dpa