Arunachal: Army Launches Search Operation For Missing Mountaineers

Itanagar: The Indian Army has launched a search operation for two members of a mountaineering expedition team missing since August 17.

Army's special forces and Arunachal Pradesh Scouts teams have been rushed for ground search while two Advance Light Helicopters and two Cheetah helicopters have been put on standby for aerial reconnaissance.

Two mountaineers Tapi Mra, who is the first person from Arunachal to climb Mount Everest, and his companion Niku Dao, have been missing for the previous seven days.

"Indian Army has already mounted the operation. Two ALH and two Cheetah helicopters have been put on standby, these will be used for aerial reconnaissance of the area with one of the team members onboard once the weather clears. Army's highly trained and motivated special forces and Arunachal Scouts teams are also being employed for the ground search operations in the challenging terrain of the expedition area," the army said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

On August 29, the administration in East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh received information that two members of an expedition by mountaineer, Tapi Mra up to Mount Nyegi Kangtsang in East Kameng were missing.

Following the development, the Arunachal Pradesh government sought help from the Indian Army's Gajraj Corps based at Tezpur in Assam for a search and rescue mission.

Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu had earlier expressed concern for Tapi Mra's safety and announced that the state's Department of Sports was preparing a plan to find him.

"My prayers for the safety of Tapi Mra, the first person from Arunachal to scale Mt Everest, who`s been reported missing with a porter since last week during an expedition to Mt Khyarisattam in #EastKameng district. State's Dept of Sports is ready with plans to trace Mra," he said in a tweet.

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