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BAD WEATHER HAMPERED efforts to bring down the bodies of seven climbers from the upper reaches of the Himalayas, an Indian military spokesman said.
The search for the final member of the group of four Britons, two Americans, one Australian and their Indian guide was set to continue in harsh conditions, said Indo-Tibetan Border Police spokesman Vivek Kumar Pandey.
The seven bodies were retrieved yesterday on Nanda Devi in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand and taken to a “safe place” some 800 feet down, after a search operation that lasted nearly a month.
The climbers were believed to have been hit by an avalanche as they attempted to summit one of Nanda Devi’s peaks that has not yet been conquered.
Pandey said the bodies would be brought to the base camp from where they will attempt to airlift them down using special choppers.
“Further transportation will probably be done by winching the bodies up by helicopter as the conditions mean the bodies cannot be carried by land,” added the spokesman.
Maninder Kohli of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation told AFP that it would be “dangerous” to bring the bodies back by land.
“Helicopter winching will be the quickest and best way as you have to give respect to the dead men.”
The bodies were spotted from the air earlier this month but attempts to retrieve them were repeatedly put back because of the bad weather and difficult terrain.
The onset of the annual monsoon has brought heavy snowfall and rain to India’s second highest mountain.
The eight climbers were part of a 12-member expedition, but four Britons were rescued after breaking away.
The missing climbers last communicated on May 26, a day before heavy snow fell and massive avalanches hit the slopes.
The main group — led by experienced British mountaineer Martin Moran — had permission only to climb the eastern peak of Nanda Devi, according to Indian authorities.
But families of the climbers have disputed this.
A Facebook post by Moran’s firm on May 22 said they planned to attempt “an unclimbed peak” around 6,500 metres (21,300 feet) high.
Indian officials say the group risked their lives by taking the untested route to reach the peak named only 6477.
Moran’s family said on June 6 the team had an “open permit” from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) which covered Nanda Devi East “and all peaks which could be reached from the base camp, peak 6477 being one of these.”
“The team met with the IMF before the expedition and discussed their plans to summit Peak 6477 during their trip,” the family said in a statement posted on Facebook.
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Amnesty and others should be ashamed of themselves coming out with this kind of gift wrapped propaganda for Russia, theres only one side commiting war crimes and it aint Ukraine
@Buí agus Gorm: The rules of international humanitarian law are there to protect everyone. If you deny one side’s responsibilities you open up the Pandoras box. And a breach of international humanitarian law is not necessarily a war crime. War crimes are reserved for serious breaches. And you are right: the only war crimes that I have seen have come from the Russian side. But Amnesty should not be ashamed for standing up for international law.
@Nicholas McMurry: every rule is being broken by Russia who cares about the Russian pow’s getting a bit of a video taken of them they are getting off lightly.
@Nicholas McMurry: agreed. To put it simply, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Hang on a minute, they are not POW’s as Herr Putin has said it is not a “war”
I wonder if “organised” groups like paid Syrian mercenaries or Chechen terrorists are to be treated as POW’s? Given their track records of brutality and human rights abuses, they should be shot out of hand.
@Paul Shepherd: mercenaries are not entitled to combatant nor prisoners of war status afforded under the Geneva Convention. As for ‘terrorists’ if they are members of a local opposition, clearly identifiable and openly carrying weapons they are entitled to such status.
@D. Memery: I’m sure their victims will be relieved that their human rights will be respected.
@Paul Shepherd: perhaps you should direct your critism at the authors of the convention and the International Red Cross so! If you read the link you will note that although mercenaries are not entitled the combatant status they are permitted to be detained and tried for any crimes committed under civilian law.
If some dude came to my country and attacked my family n friends and then I captured him. I wouldn’t be caring if some yolk from the UN thought filming him was degrading. To be honest i probably wouldnt be keeping him alive in the first place.
@Rob Gale: What is the point in defending our values if we don’t have any?
I’m sorry but did Russia worry about all the innocents they have killed in cold blood? Women, children, the old and the sick. And those soldiers looked like middle Eastern blokes that joined up.
@Roy Dowling: oh b1. te me you @$$ wipe. I’m not gender biased I’m on the side of those unable to defend themselves. Why are there such €€jits here making such immature uneducated comments in the middle of a conflict.
@Anna Carr: hopefully I’ll never get close enough to you to b1.te you. People like you are why are to the problems of this world. You expect all men capable to defend themselves but no women are capable to defend themselves. Makes it more gender bias on your side.
I think Ukraine needs to take the high ground and not engage in tactics Putin would use.
Civilians didn’t sign up to the Geneva convention to protect Russian invaders. When this goes full guerilla warfare those sad phone calls will be public executions.
The general perception is that Putin started a war. I would suggest cautiously that Putin started an invasion. By way of Ukraine’s defence, a war began. Compare this war to the US troops exiting Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda (although already largely present with the country) carried out an invasion. Not a war. While I admire Zelenskyy’s bravery and hope the best for him, I can’t help but think he’s not being realistic in meeting Putin halfway. That Ireland voted to fast-track Ukraine into the EU will only stoke the fire. But then Ireland is just an EU provincial government. France / Netherlands who both vetoed the move is a tad more realistic.
have your say