Mission to recover climbers' bodies from Nanda Devi hampered by technical problems
World Mountain Day
Operation Daredevils, the Indian Air Force mission to retrievethe mortal remains ofmissing foreign touristsfrom the Nanda Devi base campwas halted on Wednesday due to terrain elevations and limitations of the helicopter.
The IAF helicopter was back in Pithoragarh, Uttrakhand after three failed attempts due to height.
The authorities are now deliberating on the next strategy for the mission.
The operation was joined by 4 ITBP trekkers and 5 Air Force personnel who took off from Munsyari today at 5 am in an ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter).
Eight mountaineers, including from the US, the UK and Australia, were reported missing after they left Munsiyari on May 13 to scale the peak, but did not return to the base camp on the scheduled date of May 25.
The team was led by British mountaineer Martin Moran to the 7,434-metre peak.
It was a twelve-member group and four of them were rescued on Sunday.
IAF choppers spotted five bodies on Monday during their second day of aerial search.
The missing mountaineers comprised seven from the UK, the US and Australia, and a liaison officer from Delhi's Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
They have been identified as team leader Martin Moran, members John McLaren, Richard Payne, Rupert Havel (from the UK); Anthony Sudekum and Rachel Bimmel (from the US); Ruth Macrain (from Australia); and liaison officer Chetan Pandey.
More than 20 people have been killed in the mountains, including 11 on Mount Everest, the world`s highest peak that has been plagued by poor weather, inexperienced climbers and overcrowding.
Nanda Devi, at 7,816 metres (25,643 feet), and its sister mountain, Nanda Devi East, are among the world's most challenging peaks and only a handful of people have climbed them.
(With inputs from agencies)