Missing Kiwi climbers presumed dead

Two Kiwi climbers had gone missing on Friday while ascending the world's second highest mountain, K-2.

GILGIT: Two Kiwi climbers who went missing on Friday while ascending the world's second highest mountain, K-2, are presumed dead, tour operators said on Monday.

Reports suggest that Martin Walter Schmidt and his 25-year-old son Denali Walter Schmidt were hit by an avalanche on Friday night when they were at Base Camp 3 which is at 7,400 metres of the peak.

"Our fears about the death of the New Zealanders were confirmed by the high altitude porters who reached Camp 3 and found their ice axes and crampons scattered. Regrettably, we have no option but to presume them dead," said Ali.

The high altitude porters who were sent to search for the mountaineers on July 28 found that the climbers' tent had been damaged and showed signs of having been hit by an avalanche.

Manager of Blue Sky Expedition, the company that had organized the expedition, Sher Ali said that Martin's last radio communication from the camp took place on Friday night at 6:45pm.

The missing climbers had set out on July 24 to ascend the peak from the base camp and had hoped to reached the summit on July28.