[ Bengia Ajum ]
SEPPA, 4 Aug: The foot based search operation for missing Everester Tapi Mra and his associate Niku Dao will start on Saturday from here in East Kameng district.
The initial plan was to drop the search team by helicopter at the base camp. However, with weather continuing to deteriorate, a decision has been made to start the foot based search operation.
A two member committee of Tagin Cultural Society (TCS) which include its secretary general Tuter Dulom and secretary HRD Dosh Dasi is currently camping in Seppa to oversee and coordinate the search operation. The 34 member search team includes mountaineers, technical experts, family members and porters. The team is headed by Everester Tagit Sorang as the team leader, Everester Tame Bagang (in-charge porters & ration), international experts from Nepal Everester Gelje Sherpa (in-charge metal detector), Everester Furi Sherpa (coordinator metal detector), mountaineer Taru Hai (in-charge equipments), mountaineer Tana Lui Tamin (in-charge utensil items), mountaineer Nangchung Rava (in-charge first-aid), family member Taman Mra (in-charge camera), Dodum Nampe family member of Niku Dao(in-charge cooking) and scientist Timothy Dulom from Arunachal Pradesh Space Application Cell(in-charge technical viz drone, V-set, hero generator including weather report).
Mra and Dao went missing in Mount Khyarii Satam in East Kameng district in August 2022, when they were on a mission to climb the revered mountain.
Their belongings were found two months later, in October by a search and rescue team formed at the behest of the families.
In September 2022, the ground search operation for the duo was called off by the state government. Mra’s family later constituted a team, led by Everester Tagit Sorang, to carry out search and rescue operation. They managed to find the belongings of the two mountaineers, giving a ray of hope. However, the operation had to be cut short owing to deteriorating weather conditions in Mt. Khyarii Satam.
A coordination meeting was held on Thursday here chaired by the TCS secretary general Tuter Dulom wherein team leader of search operation Tagit Sorang, Yatok Mra Nilo sister of Tapi Mra, East Kameng SP Kamdam Sikom, Sawa CO Yomgam Marde, principal in-charge Govt. College-Seppa Robin Hisang, assistant professor Tara Dagiam attended and discussed the various issues.
The search team will reach the last motorable village Veo on Saturday. They are targeting to reach the base camp of Mt. Khyarii Satam on August 12 evening.
“The team will halt at base camp for two nights. If the weather is good, on 14th August they will start towards Khyarii Satam. Also, on August 12 there is a plan to drop some technical equipment and experts by chopper at base camp if the weather permits,” informed Dosh Dasi of TCS while talking to this daily.
Besides providing financial assistance for the search operation, the state government has also requisitioned a helicopter for the search operation which is on standby.
