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An Indian search and rescue party was last night trying to find a missing group of eight climbers, including a Sydney woman – who have gone missing following an avalanche while they were climbing India’s second-highest mountain.

The team consists of the Australian, four climbers from Britain, two Americans and an Indian, the BBC reported. They set out on 13 May to climb the 7816-metre Nanda Devi East peak in the Himalayas (which is in India, a little west of Nepal). The mountain has never been climbed, apparently.

The climbers didn’t return to the base camp as planned so a search and rescue team has set out to find them.

Local officials have warned that heavy rains and snowfall are affecting the search and it could take days to reach the team – also, an avalanche has swept through the area.

The group is led by British-based mountain guide Martin Moran, whose company Moran Mountain is posting on Facebook about the expedition.

The Sydney Morning Herald said Ruth McCance from Sydney, a British-born mountaineer in her late 40s, is among those missing. It quoted Indian Mountaineering Foundation spokesman Amid Chowdhury: “We always have hope, but to be practical, we have to be prepared for bad news.”

The Himalayas have been much in the news recently, following startling photos of lengthy queues waiting to reach the Everest summit – with people freezing to death on the way. See: Climbers freeze to death in queue for Everest summit

For some, Mt Everest (which is about 725 kilometres from Nanda Devi) seems to have become a “bucket list” ambition.

Nanda Devi at dusk

Moran Mountain posted on its website yesterday:

“On behalf of Moran Mountain, we are working with the authorities and the British Association of Mountain Guides to gather information regarding the Nanda Devi East expedition team. Out of respect for those involved and their families, we will be making no further comments at this time. The BMG will release a further statement as and when more information is available. Thank you for your continued support.”

A little earlier, the company posted:

Incident Nanda Devi East: The ‘British Association of Mountain Guides’ (BMG) have been made aware of an incident on or near Nanda Devi East where BMG member, IFMGA Mountain Guide, Martin Moran was leading six clients and an Indian National. The BMG is assisting where possible and is in contact with the Indian authorities.

At the moment this is all the information we have as communication is very difficult. We will update this post when more reliable facts have been established.

BMG President, Mark Charlton.

Australian mountaineer Ruth McCance is believed to be among those missing on mountain in Himalayas. Facebook

The Herald quoted Chowdhury saying the expedition’s British deputy leader, Mark Thomas, who remained at the second base camp with three others, had made a preliminary search for the team of eight but found only a single unoccupied tent, while “beyond that area, there was evidence of a large avalanche”.

Written by Peter Needham