Nanda Devi: Hopes fade for eight climbers missing in Himalayas after avalanche

Rescue teams in India say their chances of being found alive are now 'bleak'

Climbers, including the eight now missing, taken on May 13 in the Himalayan town of Munsiyari. Martin Moran is back centre. (Reuters)

Mountain rescue teams in India have said the chances of finding eight climbers missing in the Himalayas, including four Britons, are now “bleak”.

A search operation of the Nanda Devi peak had to be suspended on Sunday afternoon after conditions deteriorated, government official Vijay Kumar Jogdanda said.

The development came as it emerged the group – which also included two US nationals, an Australian and an Indian guide – may have found themselves in the middle of an avalanche when they disappeared on Friday morning.

The family of the British man leading the expedition said the subsequent search had found “no sign of the climbers, their equipment nor their tents.”

Martin Moran – a mountain guide of 35 years experience from Tyneside – was in charge of the party as it attempted to reach the peak of a remote and previously unchartered summit.

He was leading the climb through Moran Mountain, the family business he runs from the Scottish Highlands with wife Joy and grown-up children Hazel and Alex.

In a statement, they said: “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."

Detailing what rescuers believed may have occurred, they added: “It is not entirely clear what happened...or indeed the timeline of events.

"We do know that a British mountain guide who was in the area leading a trekking group, as part of the same expedition, was informed that the climbing group had not returned to base camp as expected.

"He immediately went on the mountain to search for the missing climbers.

"There was clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain and it seemed to be on or very near the route that would be taken by the climbing group.

"The mountain guide gave instructions to base camp to alert rescue authorities. The alarm was raised early on Friday morning."

That separate group, which was made up of four British climbers, was airlifted to safety on Sunday.

They had been in touch with the missing climbers until Thursday but turned back to base camp as conditions became harsher, it was reported.

The other seven members of the missing team have now all been named locally as John McLaren, Rupert Whewell and Richard Payne from the UK; US nationals Anthony Sudekum and Ronald Beimel; Australian Ruth McCance and Indian guide Chetan Pandey.

A spokesperson for the University of York where Dr Payne was a lecturer said: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time."

Mark Charlton, president of the British Association of Mountain Guides, said the organisation was in contact with Indian authorities and assisting where it could.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are in contact with the Indian authorities following reports that a number of British nationals are missing in the Indian Himalayas.

"We will do all we can to assist any British people who need our help."