Arunachal: Weather hits Aerial Search for Tapi Mra, Niku Dao
Chief Minister Pema Khandu prayed for the safety of the missing duo.
ITANAGAR- The Aerial search operation for locating Tapi Mra, the first mountaineer from Arunachal Pradesh to scale Mt. Everest, and his colleague Niku Dao was effected on Tuesday due to bad weather condition.
Mr. Tapi Mra and his assistant Niku Dao went untraceable during an expedition trip to Mount Khyarisattam , the 6,900-metre peak situated in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The duo had reached the base camp along with five porters on August 17.
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“Two Army helicopters were supposed to conduct an aerial search today [Tuesday] but it did not materialise due to bad weather,” the Mama Natung, Minister Sports and Youth Affairs, Govt of AP.
“Special rescue teams are ready to be air-dropped for evacuation in case we receive any clue on the actual location of the missing persons,” he said.
It takes about six-seven days to trek through dense forests to the base camp of Khyarisattam, located at an altitude of about 5,000 metres.
Meanwhile a video on social media, purportedly showing Mr. Mra and at least two others, shows them in mountaineering gear on a snow-clad mountain. It is not clear whether it is the top of the peak. It is also not clear when the missing duo began ascending from the base camp.
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Also Read- Mountaineer Tapi Mra goes missing
The district administration came to know about the missing mountaineers after one of the porters returned to his village three days ago. Battling ill-health, he broke the news.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu prayed for the safety of the missing duo.
He tweeted: “My prayers for safety of Shri Tapi Mra, the first person from Arunachal to scale Mt Everest, who’s been reportedly missing with a porter since last week during an expedition to Mt Khyarisattam in East Kameng district. The State’s Dept of Sports is ready with plans to trace them.”
