Arunachal Pradesh: Administration issues SOP for search and rescue of 2 missing mountaineers

In a notification issued Wednesday, East Kameng Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Abhishek Polumatia listed a six-point SOP for tracing the missing mountaineers.

Aerial view of the base camp. (Picture courtesy: East Kameng district administration)

Nearly a month after two mountaineers – Tapi Mra and his assistant Niku Dao – went missing while trying to scale Chiumo Peak (6,890m) close to the McMahon Line, the local administration in Arunachal Pradesh has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conducting the rescue operation.

In a notification issued Wednesday, East Kameng Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Abhishek Polumatia listed a six-point SOP for tracing the missing mountaineers.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Polumatia said: “Basically, two more civil mountaineers were inducted in the base camp. The entire base camp and camp one were thoroughly searched. There is no sign of any human presence or any clue. The entire rescue team will be moved to camp one and camp two, and adjoining areas will be searched Thursday. Those are the most critical and important areas. We are hoping to find clues near camp two in the next few days.”

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The local administration has also prohibited trekking expeditions for two months in high-altitude locations in Lada, Khenewa, and Sewa circles.

The order came after the police and the Indian Army furnished reports that trekking routes along high-altitude locations in the region are in a dangerous condition following incessant rain over the last two weeks.

The administration has designated Major LP Singh from the Indian Army as ‘Rescue Team Commander’ and made him the overall in-charge of the search and rescue operation. It has also prohibited members of the rescue team from taking any photos or videos of the search operation on their personal mobile phones or cameras.

“Any photography/videography shall be done only on the instructions of the Rescue Team Commander. All members are hereby directed to deposit their mobile phones or cameras with the Rescue Team Commander forthwith,” the notification said.

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Earlier on August 29, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had tweeted about the missing mountaineers. He had said: “My prayers for safety of Shri Tapi Mra, the first person from Arunachal to scale Mt Everest, who’s been reportedly missing with a porter since last week during an expedition to Mt Khyarisattam in #EastKameng district. State’s Dept of Sports is ready with plans to trace Shri Mra.”