Four Britons are among eight climbers reported missing after an avalanche hit in the Himalayas while they were trying to scale a previously unclimbed 21,000-foot peak.
Mountain guide Martin Moran disappeared during an ascent of India's second highest mountain, Nanda Devi, along with John McLaren, Rupert Whewell and Richard Payne, according to local reports.
Americans Anthony Sudekum and Ronald Beimel, Australian Ruth McCance and Indian guide Chetan Pandey have also been reported missing.
It follows the deaths of 11 people in almost as many days on Mount Everest last month after climbers were filmed queuing to reach the summit.
British mountaineer and group leader Martin Moran (left) has been reported missing after his team didn't return to base camp on Friday at Nanda Devi, India's second highest mountain. (Pictured) Friend of 20 years Nigel Vardy who said Mr Moran is an 'experienced climber'
Facebook post from their second base camp, at 16,000 feet, said the group were going to try to scale a previously unclimbed peak
An Indian rescue team was sent up the mountain after the group, led by Mr Moran, who failed to return to base-camp on Friday as planned.
But the team battled bad weather and were forced to call off their search on Saturday evening.
Two helicopters from the Indian Air Force were drafted in during the early hours of Sunday morning to hunt for those missing from the sky.
A Facebook update from May 22 detailing the group's progress said they were going to climb a previously unscaled 21,000-foot high summit.
'In the words of Royal Robbins; "A first ascent is a creation in the same sense as is a painting or a song",' it added.
Rescuers have so far reported an avalanche on the missing climbers proposed route, as their efforts to meet the second base-camp are hampered by heavy rains and snowfall.
An Indian government official said an air force helicopter has also been used to locate the climbers.
Ruth McCance, from Sydney, and seven other climbers failed to return to base camp at Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India
The group, which is led by experienced UK-based climber Martin Moran, last shared updates to social media on May 22. 'The Nanda Devi team has reached their second base camp at 4870m, their home for the next week,' the update said
Martin Moran, pictured, who founded British mountaineering company 'Moran Mountain' in 1985, leads guided tours of difficult-to-reach summits in Scotland, Norway, the Alps
