ITBP launches another op to locate missing mountaineers

A week after it had to abort a first-of-its-kind heli-borne operation to retrieve bodies of at least eight mountaineers who are believed to have been killed in an avalanche near an unscaled mountain adjoining Nanda Devi East, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Thursday launched an expedition on foot expedition to locate them.

The ITBP launched their mountaineers to the Nanda Devi East base camp through the land route to carry out search operations for the missing mountaineers.

Launched from Pithoragarh, ITBP spokesperson Vivek Pandey said, the team of highly-trained mountaineers will approach the area from the base camp.

The ITBP team is expected to reach the base camp in a week and after required acclimatization, they will try to reach the spot where the mountaineers have been last spotted.

The team was briefed by ITBP Director General S S Deswal a couple of days ago, Pandey said.

"It will be a very challenging mission, as the site is located at about 20,000 feet in between a glacier and other snow hazard-prone areas. Air support will also be taken for logistics in the course of operation," he said.

On June 5, the ITBP team launched the heli-borne operation codenamed 'Dare Devils' but it did not work out. The mountaineers could not be airdropped at the site due to technical and logistical difficulties, prompting experts to mull an expedition on foot.

Eight out of 12 mountaineers, including from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, were reported missing after they left Munsiyari on May 13 to scale the peak. They were to return to base camp on May 25 as scheduled. The Air Force had spotted five bodies on June 3.

After the aborted attempt on June 5, the mountaineers had suggested that an expedition on foot is preferable due to the inability of the mountaineering team to be air dropped.

Those missing include seven from the UK, the US and Australia, and a liaison officer from Delhi's Indian Mountaineering Foundation. They have been identified as Martin Moran, the Britisher who led the team and John McLaren, Richard Payne, Rupert Havel (all from the UK), Anthony Sudekum and Rachel Bimmel (US), Ruth Macrain (Australia) and liaison officer Chetan Pandey.