PITHORAGARH, India (Reuters) - An Indian helicopter mission on Wednesday to remove the bodies of five missing climbers believed killed in an avalanche high in the Himalayas was halted after encountering technical problems, officials said. An Indian air force helicopter on Monday spotted five bodies partially buried in snow high on a slope. A recovery mission began on Wednesday but the initial sorties encountered technical problems, said Vijay K Jogdande, the top government official in the remote mountain area. "No bodies have so far been recovered from the three initial sorties this morning," he said, without giving more details. The paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force is carrying out the mission to bring the bodies to the town of Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.

Source: The Star June 05, 2019 03:36 UTC