KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 1

Search for the three missing French Alpinists - Thomas Arfi, Gabriel Miloche and Louis Pachoud - is underway as Kailash helicopter dropped the rescuers around the location they were last spotted, on Monday.

Highly-trained mountain guides for ground search including Mingma G, Vinayak J Malla, Ang Dawa Sherpa, Tsering Pemba Sherpa and Pemba Gyalzen Sherpa, were dropped at the site after several aerial searches were conducted by Kailash helicopter to locate the spot.

Sources at the Khumbu region had confirmed that the French Alpinists were reportedly attempting to climb a 6,000-metre peak in the Mt Everest region and had gone missing in an avalanche.

According to Alpine International Magazine, the three have been missing since October 26.

It further stated that they were from GEAN (Groupe excellence alpinisme national) of the FFCAM (Fédération des clubs alpins et de montagne).

As per the magazine, a team of eight left France for the Khumbu region on September 30. They scaled some acclimatisation summits on October 14 and 15 in two groups. They set out for more ascents on October 24 to climb Minbo Ider (6071m) for which they were given four days to accomplish.

The rescue mission had spotted their tents and climbing materials near Minbo La glacier below Mt Amadablam on Sunday morning.

According to a sources, it looked like they were attempting to climb Minbo Ider without obtaining permit from the government or Nepal Mountaineering Association and had no connection with Nepali agencies.

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