GUWAHATI: The Arunachal Pradesh government on Thursday launched a massive ground search and rescue operation for missing Everester Tapi Mra and his assistant Niku Dao.
The duo was reported missing after they had embarked on scaling Mount Kyarisatam (also called Mount Chiumo), located at an altitude of 6,890 metres on the India-Tibet border in East Kameng, in mid-August. Eleven porters had accompanied them during the expedition.
It was Mra’s fourth attempt to scale Mount Kyarisatam, the state’s highest peak. He is the first mountaineer from Arunachal to conquer Mount Everest (2009).
The ground search team, which set out from East Kameng district headquarters Seppa in western Arunachal, has 94 members – 31 Army personnel, three local mountaineers and 60 porters.
The government decided on the ground search as helicopters could not be mobilised for the mission due to bad weather conditions. Two ALH helicopters and two Cheetah helicopters have been kept on standby since August 30.
Capt Longjam Posy Singh of 11 Para (Special Force) is leading the search team which has eight other officers including five junior commissioned officers. The three mountaineers roped in are Tame Bagang, Tagit Sorang and Taro Hai.
The logistics – mountaineering equipment, vehicles, ration, bedding, accommodation and ambulances – were also arranged. Five satellite phones would be used for constant communication. District Magistrate Pravimal Abhishek Polumatla told this newspaper it would be a challenging task.
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He said not only will it take 10-12 days for the team to reach the search area, but the Indian Meteorological Department also predicted widespread rain and thundershowers over the next five days in East Kameng.
“Although there is no threat of wild animals, the team might encounter poisonous snakes. We have deployed medical teams to the last village and there is a doctor in the Army team. Adequate equipment has been provided to prevent snakebites. The team is also carrying adequate medicines in case there is such an incident,” Polumatla said.
He said the Army personnel and the three mountaineers have good experience in the area and they are acclimatized to such weather conditions. The mountaineers underwent medical checkups before leaving and they were found to be fit, he said.
“All will not go together. They will camp in stages to ensure that there is a continuous chain of supplies,” the DM further said.