KATMANDU, Nepal Rescuers on Tuesday gave up the search for a missing Russian mountaineer who was swept away by a avalanche 13 days ago and presumed dead. ``We returned to Katmandu after finding no signs of Anatoli Boukreev .... he is not alive,'' said Rinat Khaibullin, of Kazakstan, who led the search team. Boukreev, 39, was hit by the avalanche while climbing the 8,091-meter (26,700-foot) Mt. Annapurna along with an Italian climber.

Simone Moro of Bergamo survived. On Friday, Khaibullin joined two Sherpas searching for Boukreev. Three more Kazaks joined the rescue operation a day later. Boukreev had homes in Alma Ata, Kazakstan, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. (AP)