Rescue mission to use special forward-looking infrared to look for Ali Sadpara, foreign mountaineers

• Special forward-looking infrared (FLIR) to be used to search for missing mountaineers
• High altitude climbers will also carry out a ground search
• Ali Sadpara, two other mountaineers have been missing since Saturday
  

  ---

A special search and rescue mission will make use of advanced technology to recover missing mountaineer Ali Sadpara and the other two foreign climbers who went missing last week. 

According to sources, a special search and rescue mission will hunt for Sadpara and the other mountaineers on Thursday, and will make use of special forward-looking infrared (FLIR) to search for the missing mountain climbers. 

Read more: Families of Ali Sadpara, 2 other mountaineers missing on K2 say they will continue search

Apart from that, the mission will engage high altitude climbers to carry out a ground search that will be spotted by the FLIR mission.

Ali Sadpara, two other foreign mountaineers go missing

Pakistani helicopters returned on Saturday afternoon unsuccessful after they went looking for Sadpara and the other mountaineers with him. The helicopters reportedly flew to a height of 7,000 metres afternoon in their attempt to locate the missing persons.

However, they were unable to find any clues to their whereabouts. They had to return due to worsening weather and light conditions.

It had been reported on Friday that Sadpara and his team had successfully summited the 8,611-metre K2 — the world's second highest mountain — late Friday, a month after their first attempt failed. However, their support teams have since then cautioned that the climbers' status is still unclear and there has been no communication from their end.

'They could have built an ice cave'

Families of the missing mountaineers released a statement on Wednesday, saying that they will not give up the search for their loved ones. 

According to their statement, the climbers are up against extreme weather elements and there are reasons why the K2 had not been summited in winter before — until a 10-member strong Nepalese team did so earlier this year.

"The freezing temperatures and wind chill, averaging -50 degrees Celsius, along with exhausted climbers, created a challenge, but everyone did what they could," read the statement, thanking in great detail all those who have taken part in rescue efforts.

The families said that they believed the fact that the mountai have not been found yet could be because "they have built an ice cave or shelter, and if they had sufficient fuel to melt water, it could have extended their lifeline, but it depends how low they made it down on the mountain".