A local guesthouse owner raised the alarm when he failed to return by Tuesday.

The identities of the two men on board are not yet known but it's understood they are staying in a local guesthouse.

When COVID-19 effectively brought global travel to a halt, climbers began cancelling their reservations at the local guesthouses.

Now we have a shortage of available places for tourists in the local guesthouses, said Nino Japaridze, head of the Mestia district administration.