Uttarakhand: Joint operation to retrieve bodies of 8 mountaineers begins

A joint operation has been started to retrieve the bodies of eight mountaineers, including an Indian, who went missing while they were on an expedition to a Nanda Devi East peak on May 26.

The operation was conducted by Indian Air Force (IAF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other agencies.

Pithoragarh District Information Officer said, "On June 15, an additional team of ITBP will be leaving Nanda Devi East. Additional equipment and necessary material will be made available to them at the Nanda Devi East base camp."

On Friday, IAF helicopter Mi- 17 by which ITBP mountaineers reached the Nainesani Airport to reach the Mains Rescue Equipment and necessary material to the Nandadevi base camp.

The ITBP with the support of district administration of Pithoragarh had deployed its mountaineers at the Nanda Devi East base camp through a land route to carry out search operations for the eight missing mountaineers.

The ITBP said in a statement on Thursday that the team of highly-trained mountaineers will approach towards the base camp and will try to reach to the site where the equipment and other items were reportedly seen near the unnamed peak near Nanda Devi East.

It will be a very challenging mission as the site is located at about 20,000 feet. Air support will also be taken for logistics in the course of operation.