PITHORAGARH: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other agencies are continuing their search for 8 foreign climbers who went missing on their way to Nanda Devi East peak in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand last Friday.
According to reports, the ITBP has so far rescued 4 climbers and taken them to Pithiragarh from the Nanda Devi Base Camp on Sunday with the help of Indian Air Force chopper.
Uttarakhand: Indo-Tibetan Border Police with the help of Indian Air Force rescued four climbers from Nanda Devi Base Camp & brought them to Pithoragarh, earlier today. All the 4 climbers- Ian Wade, Mark Thomas, Catherine Armstrong, and Zachary Quain- are from the UK. pic.twitter.com/dfGuAMFetQ
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019
8 others are still missing and the ITBP, along with the State Disaster Response Force, is continuing the search for the missing climbers on the 2nd day of the operation.
Sharing more detail about the rescue operation, Pithoragarh District Magistrate VK Jogdande said, '' 4 mountaineers have been rescued, since there's a possibility of an avalanche in the area closer to Nanda Devi East, search and rescue operations for remaining 8 mountaineers will continue tomorrow or day after tomorrow depending on weather conditions.''
VK Jogdande, DM Pithoragarh: 4 mountaineers have been rescued, since there's possibility of an avalanche in the area closer to Nanda Devi East, search & rescue operations for remaining 8 mountaineers will continue tomorrow or day after tomorrow depending on weather conditions. pic.twitter.com/elpTKAEF9t
— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2019
A team of 12 foreign mountaineers had left for Nanda Devi East peak in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand last Friday but it went missing shortly after that prompting the administration to launch a massive search-and-rescue operation.
The team is said to have been missing since May 25 when it was supposed to return to the base camp, Pithoragarh DM Jogdande had told reporters on Saturday.
The route to the peak begins from Munsiyari, about 132 km from the district headquarters. From Munsiyari to the Nanda Devi base camp, mountaineers have to traverse a distance of about 90 km on foot.
Besides the ITBP search teams, a 14-member search and rescue team from Munsiyari has also been involved in the search operation. The team comprises SDRF, medical personnel, revenue police and local villagers.
A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team left Dehradun in a helicopter on Saturday morning to conduct an aerial survey of the area but inclement weather hampered the operation, Jogdande said.
