Rescuers are set to launch three drones as the search for a British climber missing on a mountain in Pakistan intensifies.

Tom Ballard from Derbyshire, whose mother died on K2 in 1995, was reported missing on Nanga Parbat earlier this week.

He had been climbing the peak, nicknamed Killer Mountain, with Italian Daniele Nardi before.

Russian mountaineers on nearby K2 were set to join the search but have been stood down due to an increased avalanche risk.

A statement on Mr Nardi’s official Facebook page, posted in Italian, said officials would begin using “sophisticated electronic flight systems”.

It added: “Three drones of special power for the flight in altitude and autonomy will patrol all the area of Sperone Mummery, up to the plateau above and along all the hypothetical paths passable by the two mountaineers who are still searching.”

Plans for an initial search operation were prevented on Thursday when Pakistan closed its air space after it shot down two Indian military planes, but two army helicopters were eventually drafted in.

Mr Ballard had been documenting his efforts on Instagram before going missing and appeared to be in good spirits.

His last post on 19 February showed him on skis as he sized up a steep descent along the mountain, along with the caption: “This should be fun!”

Posting on Facebook on the same day, he said: “Basecamp life is becoming, almost, like a holiday while we wait for that elusive weather window.

“Many new and interesting drytooling boulder problems, luncheon in the sun and afternoon skiing.

“What more could you want?”

Temperatures on the mountain are said to be at least -40C, with winds ranging from 120mph to 200mph.

The adventurer has been dedicated to climbing some of the toughest mountains in the world since the death of his mother, Alison Hargreaves, in August 1995.

She was 33 when she went missing on K2, which is located on the border of China and Pakistan, and her body was never recovered.

Earlier that year, the mother-of-two had become the first woman to climb Mount Everest – the only mountain peak higher than K2 – unaided.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that it is in contact with Pakistani authorities regarding Mr Ballard, who began his quest to scale Nanga Parbat in December.

He and Mr Nardi reached the first camp at 15,400ft (4,700m) on 7 January and the second camp at 17,000ft (5,200m) just over three weeks later.

Their final contact with base camp came on 22 February and the last word from Mr Ballard came on Sunday, when he spoke to his wife over a satellite phone.

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