Rescue efforts on Mount Makalu have been temporarily suspended after high winds grounded aerial searches, days after a deadly descent turned a rare winter summit into tragedy, expedition organizers said.

The search is focused on Abolfazl Gozali, an Iranian climber who disappeared during the descent from the 8,485-meter peak, and on the recovery of Phurba Ongel Sherpa, an experienced Nepali guide who fell to his death above Camp IV.

“The search and recovery will continue once the weather improves in a couple of days,” said Pemba Sherpa, managing director of 8K Expeditions, which has deployed four Sherpa rescuers to assist in the operation.

The tragedy unfolded Thursday morning after four climbers successfully reached Makalu’s summit in winter conditions — a rare and hazardous undertaking marked by extreme cold, fierce winds and limited daylight.

The expedition was led by the renowned climber Sanu Sherpa. His younger brother, Phurba Ongel Sherpa, and Lakpa Rinji Sherpa also reached the summit, along with their client, Gozali.

In a brief phone call from a higher camp, Sanu Sherpa said the incident occurred during the descent on a section of the route considered straightforward.

“We reached the summit around 10:30 a.m. Everyone was ecstatic,” he said. “We began descending together. Phurba and Lakpa were a few meters ahead of us. I was with Gozali.”

Moments later, Sanu Sherpa said, he saw Lakpa Rinji Sherpa crying below. Lakpa told him that Phurba had fallen.

Sanu and Lakpa immediately began searching for Phurba Ongel, instructing Gozali to remain in place. Gozali said he would descend slowly on his own.

The two Sherpas later located Phurba Ongel’s body at about 7,400 meters. He is believed to have fallen roughly 700 meters.

“The terrain there is largely flat and considered one of the easiest sections,” Sanu Sherpa said. “But it was impossible to recover him from that position.”

When Sanu and Lakpa returned to the route, Gozali was no longer there. Assuming he had descended to Camp III, they continued downward, but he was not found there or at Camp II. Base Camp later confirmed that Gozali had not arrived.

His communication devices are believed to be no longer functioning.

Sanu Sherpa, who has more than 40 summits of 8,000-meter peaks — most while guiding foreign clients — said this was the first time he had lost a client. And above all, he lost one of his family members on an expedition.

“I cannot think clearly now,” he said. “I had even asked Phurba to remain at Camp IV to make hot water, but he insisted on summiting.”

Sanu Sherpa is the first mountaineer to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks twice. With Makalu completed, he is nearing a third round; only Shishapangma, Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri remain.

He later joined the search-and-rescue team, though efforts have been hampered by worsening weather conditions. Strong winds on Sunday forced the suspension of helicopter operations, a common challenge on Makalu.

The expedition included a second client, Piyali Basak of India, who turned back at Camp III because of health concerns and returned safely to Base Camp.

Phurba Ongel Sherpa, born in 1981 in the Makalu region, was a veteran high-altitude guide who had summited Mount Everest 19 times and worked extensively on major peaks in Nepal and Pakistan, including K2. This was his second attempt to climb Makalu in winter.

Mohan Lamsal, managing director of Makalu Adventure, the expedition’s organizing agency, said the search would continue for at least a week.

“The search is ongoing and will resume as soon as weather conditions allow,” he said.

The mountaineering community is now anxiously awaiting news from search teams working in what many climbers describe as one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth.