The search for a missing Hong Kong climber and a mainland colleague in Qinghai was halted yesterday because more avalanches were feared as temperatures on the mountain rose. A 60-member rescue team resumed the search at about 5am following an avalanche last Saturday on the mountain near Menyuan county in the northern province, Xinhua reported. Members walked for 10km in darkness on the snowy slope to reach a height of 3,400 metres where Hong Kong climber Wong Chi-wah, 46, and five others were engulfed in an avalanche last Saturday. One mainland climber was killed while another three survived the accident. Rescuers yesterday tried to dig trenches on the slope in their search for the missing pair but had to call off the operation as temperatures on the mountain rose. It was not known when the search would resume. A spokesman for the Hong Kong government's Beijing office said yesterday they had no further news on the search following the discovery of Mr Wong's backpack on Sunday.
