Helicopter teams deployed to search for AP mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu missing in Andes
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said helicopter teams from Argentina and Chile have been deployed in search for ace Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu on both sides of the mountain range where he went missing.
"Helicopter teams from Argentina and Chile search for Indian moutaineer Malli Mastan Babu on both sides of mountain range where he went missing," MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.
Helicopter teams from Argentina & Chile search for Indian moutaineer Malli Mastan Babu on both sides of mountain range where he went missing
— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) April 3, 201540-year-old Babu hails from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh and has close to 10 to 12 years of experience of climbing mountain peaks.
Read: Ace Indian climber Malli Mastan Babu lost in the Andes
His sister, Malli Dorsan Amma, had earlier alleged that time is running out for Babu and nothing was being done to save him.
"I am praying to god to fastrack the procedure. I am mostly quiet and calm but my mother always weeps. I am not able to concentrate on anything," she said.
Babu’s began his expedition on March 24th. He was attempting to climb the mountain range along the Argentina-Chile border from the base camp of Cerro Tres Cruces.
Read: Friends recall Mastan’s passion
However, he did not return to the base camp on March 25. His friends and fellow climbers tried establishing contact with him, but his GPS device too could not be tracked.
Babu had in 2006 scaled seven summits of the world in 172 days.
