Three experienced mountain climbers from the United States and Canada are missing after failing to return from their planned summit of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Aoraki (Mount Cook). The missing climbers are Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero from the U.S., both certified alpine guides, and an unidentified Canadian national. The trio arrived at a hut partway up the 12,218-foot mountain on Saturday but did not show up for their morning flight out on Monday. Search and rescue teams have found some climbing-related items believed to belong to them, but severe weather conditions have temporarily halted search efforts. Authorities are working with the U.S. and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the missing climbers.
Aoraki is part of the Southern Alps mountain range on New Zealand’s South Island and is known for its challenging terrain. Over 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park since the start of the 20th century. The search for the missing climbers is expected to resume on Thursday once weather conditions improve. NBC News has an intern named Seyed Ismail Nafeesa contributing to the coverage of this story, with additional information provided by The Associated Press.
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