Pithoragarh, Aug 25 (PTI) The search operation to find those who have been missing since August 14 cloudburst at Mangti and Malpa continued for the 12th day today.

"The search operation will continue till there is no possibility left to find more bodies," Pithoragarh District Magistrate C Ravi Shankar said.

Apart from the eight bodies already recovered, one more was sighted on August 23 along the Kali river.

"It has thrown up possibilities that more bodies could be found. We want to continue the search operation considering the sentiments of families which have lost their kin in the disaster," he said.

The ninth body recovered on August 23 is yet to be identified and also, he said, it is not clear whether it belongs to one of the victims of the cloudbursts that hit Magti and Malpa on August 14.

The DNA has been preserved to match it with those who went missing after the two cloudbursts, he said.

"The National Disaster Relief Force, the State Disaster Relief Force, the Army and paramilitary force personnel are engaged in the search operations at Mangti and Malpa for the last 12 days with the help of sniffer dogs and latest technologies used for such purposes," he said.

Asked if the motorable road up to Mangti and trek route from there to Malpa was ready, the district magistrate said that the stretch between Mangti and Malpa still remains broken but it would be made temporarily usable in 10 day", the DM said.