The search for two mountaineers missing since they climbed Myanmar's highest peak more than three weeks ago will continue until September 27, the Htoo Foundation told a news conference in Yangon on September 21.
U Aung Myint Myat and U Wai Yan Min Thu went missing on August 31 after becoming the first members of an all-Myanmar climbing team to summit Mount Hkakabo Razi, which at 5,581 metres (19,295 feet) is also Southeast Asia's highest peak.
The pair lost contact with other members of a Yangon University Hiking and Mountaineering Association expedition team after reportedly scaling the mountain's treacherous north face for the first time.
Htoo Foundation spokesperson U Phyo Ko Ko told the news conference the situation would be re-assessed on September 27 by the organisation's chairman, U Tay Za.
The foundation is the charity arm of the Htoo Group headed by U Tay Za, who left Yangon on September 10 to launch a search and rescue operation by land and air for the missing climbers.
U Tay Za said on his Facebook page on September 9 that the foundation was sending two helicopters for the search effort, which has been hampered by bad weather.
The Tatmadaw has provided a helicopter and other equipment and the search operation has also been assisted by a civilian rescue team from China and a climbing team from the United States.
The search is in an area of far northern Kachin State where U Tay Za was stranded in February 2011 when the helicopter in which he was travelling suffered mechanical failure after landing in heavy snow during a mountaineering expedition survey and was unable to take off.
