Three mountain climbers from the United States and Canada are missing after they failed to return from their planned summit of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook. The missing climbers are Kurt Blair, 56, of Colorado, Carlos Romero, 50, of California, and a Canadian national whose name has not been released. The trio arrived at a hut partway up Aoraki on Saturday with plans to ascend the 12,218-foot mountain but failed to show up for their morning flight out on Monday.
Searchers have found climbing-related items believed to belong to the missing climbers, but the search was temporarily halted due to severe weather conditions. The search is unlikely to resume until Thursday, and officials are working with the U.S. and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the missing men. Aoraki is a popular destination for advanced climbers but has challenging terrain, with over 240 deaths recorded on the mountain and in the national park surrounding it since the start of the 20th century. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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