Two Japanese climbers missing in the Himalayas

New Delhi – Two Japanese climbers have gone missing on a 7,000-meter-class mountain in the Himalayas in Nepal, a senior local municipal official said Wednesday.

The two Japanese nationals have been out of contact since Oct. 15 and local authorities have been searching for them.

According to the official, the two male mountaineers are age 40 and 25. They are believed to have been climbing Mount Gangapurna, in the Annapurna Massif range, which rises 7,455 meters above sea level, or a slightly lower unclimbed peak nearby. Local authorities have been using helicopters and drones in the search but have found no clues to their whereabouts.

“We are providing as much support as possible to the families of the missing climbers and others concerned while staying in contact with them,” an official at the Japanese Embassy in Nepal said. The embassy has not disclosed the identities of the two climbers.