Three mountain climbers from the United States and Canada, who were missing for five days on Aoraki, New Zealand's tallest peak, are believed to have died, police said on Friday.

US citizens Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, and a Canadian man who police have not named went to Mount Cook on Saturday to camp and climb the 3,724 meter (12,218 ft) mountain.

However, they did not show up to catch their return flight, leading authorities to launch a search-and-rescue effort. The operation to rescue them had to be paused on Tuesday because of bad weather and it only resumed on Friday.

Bodies of climbers not found

The group's belongings — including clothing, an ice axe and energy gels — were spotted from the helicopter on the mountain slopes and have been retrieved.

Their bodies have not been found but, based on their footprints and their belongings found on the slopes, police suspect they have died.

"Reviewing the number of days the climbers have been missing, no communication, the items we have received, and our reconnaissance today, we do not believe the men have survived," Vicki Walker, a senior New Zealand police officer investigating the men's disappearance, told a news conference on Friday.

The search for them has ended and the families of the men have been informed, she added.

She said the search operation would resume if more evidence of their survival was found but for now, the men's deaths have been referred to a coroner, Walker added.

Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook is popular among experienced climbers but several people have died on the mountain.

More than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park since the start of the 20th century.

mfi/rc (AP, Reuters)