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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Henry Clare & Amber Hicks

Bodies of seven missing climbers found on India's second-highest peak

Seven bodies have been found by police in the search for a missing group of eight climbers in the Indian Himalayas, officials have said.

The group, believed to be comprised of four Britons, two Americans, one Australian and an Indian liaison officer, vanished in the Nanda Devi region on May 26 following an avalanche.

Rescue teams are still searching the area for the body of the eighth mountaineer.

Led by British mountain guide Martin Moran, the team was attempting to reach the top of an unclimbed peak in a remote area.

All the climbers in the original party before they split (Universal News And Sport (Europe))
Rescue teams will continue to search the area for the body of the eighth mountaineer (REUTERS)

Officials previously said that all eight of the missing climbers are presumed dead, while four others who were part of the group were rescued.

Earlier this month, a mission was launched to recover five bodies spotted during the search for the missing group of eight.

The bodies, which are said to have been found at an altitude of more than 5,000 metres, will be brought to base camp to be formally identified.

The missing climbers had not been heard from since 26 May (Universal News And Sport (Europe))

Mr Moran, originally from Tyneside, has been a mountain guide since 1985 and set up his company - Moran Mountain, based in Strathcarron in the Scottish Highlands - with his wife Joy, while their grown-up children Hazel and Alex also work for the business.

In an earlier statement, his family said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic events unfolding in the Nanda Devi region of the Indian Himalayas.

Members of the team vanished in the Nanda Devi region following an avalanche (Universal News And Sport (Europe))
Richard Payne he is one of the missing (Universal News And Sport (Europe))

"As a family, we share the same emotions that all next of kin are experiencing in not knowing the whereabouts or well-being of those closest to us."

The Moran family explained how the group "had set out to attempt an unclimbed, unnamed summit, Peak 6477m, and the last contact intimated that all was well".

But they said that it is "not entirely clear" what happened next, and an alarm was raised on the morning of May 31 after the group failed to return to base camp.

Mr Moran's family said they "are deeply saddened by the tragic events unfolding" (REUTERS)

Academic Richard Payne, from the University of York, is believed to be among the group of missing climbers.

Last month, the university said it was "extremely concerned" about Mr Payne, and said: "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time."

The four men who were rescued are Mark Thomas, 44, Zachary Quain, 32, Kate Armstone, 39 and Ian Wade, 45.

Climber Nigel Vardy, who has known Mr Moran for 20 years, previously described him as "an absolute professional and genuinely a really, really nice guy".

Indian authorities had previously identified the eight missing as expedition leader Martin Moran, John McLaren, Rupert Whewell and Richard Payne, all from Britain.

Anthony Sudekum and Ronald Beimel from the United States, Ruth McCance from Australia, and liaison officer Chetan Pandey from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

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