Pithoragarh: Preparations to retrieve the bodies of the missing mountaineers on the way to Nanda Devi peak in Uttarakhand is in full swing. As per reports, the IAF spotted bodies of five of the eight mountaineers who were reported to missing.
Reportedly, the bodies were spotted at a height of 5000m. The administration is in talks with the Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) and with a team of mountaineering experts to find a way to retrieve the bodies.
The rescue operation would be a highly dangerous one owing to the risks of avalanches and bad weather. The administration is also trying to establish a connection with relatives or friends of the deceased.
Nanda Devi East expedition:
An eight-member team consisting of climbers from the UK, US and Australia went missing en route to the Nanda Devi East peak in Uttarakhand. The group was led by highly experienced British climber Martin Moran.
A total of 12 climbers had set out from Munsiyari in Pithoragarh but they separated into two groups a week later after reaching the Nanda Devi east base camp. The group was given permission last month to scale the eastern peak of the mountain.
However, Moran's mountaineering group decided to attempt "an unclimbed peak", which, reportedly is even more difficult to scale than Mount Everest. As per reports, concerned officials were not aware of the group's sudden change in plan.
Reports said that the Mountaineers "knowingly risked" their lives by changing their plans without permission. The groups communicated last on May 26, a day before heavy snowfall and massive avalanches hit the peak.
The Nanda Devi peak:
Nanda Devi is the second highest mountain in India and the highest located entirely within the country. It is the 23rd-highest peak in the world. It is a two-peaked massif- Nanda Devi East and Nanda Devi West. The western summit is higher.
Reportedly, the first successful ascent of the Nanda Devi summit was in 1936.
