gawrav/iStock(NEW DELHI, India) — Helicopters searching for eight mountain climbers from the same expedition in the Indian Himalayas spotted five bodies Monday morning, an official confirmed to ABC News.
The missing climbers were part of a 12-person expedition on Nanda Devi, the second-tallest mountain in India, at 25,643 feet.
Authorities have been working on search efforts, although some have been thwarted by bad weather conditions, according to Pithoragarh district administrator Vijay Kumar Jogdande. A rescue team including doctors is at the Nanda Devi base camp, but could not go up the mountain on foot Sunday due to avalanches.
Helicopter rescue operations resumed Monday morning, leading to the news that five bodies had been seen. Rescue teams also spotted empty red tents at around 19,000 feet. There had been avalanches in that region.
Four of the group members — Mark Thomas, Zachary Quain, Ian Wade and Kate Armstrong — split off to climb its east peak, while the other eight went to climb an unnamed peak, according to Jogdande.
The four who headed towards the east peak were airlifted out from around 16,400 feet after getting stranded. They are now back in Pithoragarh, per Jogdande.
They had last been in contact with the other eight in the group on May 24. That group was supposed to return to base camp on May 26, but did not, which authorities learned on May 31, Jogdande said.
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