Dehradun, Oct 4 (PTI) IAF helicopters could not trace on Friday two women mountaineers who are stranded at a height of over 6,000 metres at Chaukhamba III in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.
Chamoli DM Sandeep Tiwari has sought the help of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in rescuing them.
The two women mountaineers have been identified as Michelle Theresa Dvorak from the USA and Fav Jane Manners from the United Kindgdom, the district magistrate said.
It was a foreign mountaineering expedition by India Mountaineering Foundation.
Two IAF helicopters began searching for them at 8 am on Friday, he said. However, they have not been traced nor contacted yet, he said.
A request has been sent to the SDRF commandant to depute a team of SDRF personnel to assist in the search and rescue operation, he said.
The two got stranded after their logistical and technical equipment fell down when they were at a height of 6,015 metres on way to Chaukhamba III situated at 6,995 metres, Tiwari said.
As soon as the information was received in this regard, a request was sent by the district magistrate of Chamoli to the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) of the Indian Defence Ministry for heli rescue of the mountaineers at 11 pm on Thursday.