The News Minute | April 4, 2015 | 10:00 am IST(Last updated - 2:00 pm IST)Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu, who went missing on March 24 during a climb in the Andes Mountains in Argentina, has been found dead by authorities. "Mountains retained its favourite child.. R.I.P Malli Mastan Babu," the Facebook page, 'Rescue Malli Mastan Babu', which had been set up by his friends and well-wishers to share updates on the search for the missing mountaineer said.The 40-year-old was attempting to climb the Andes mountain range along the Argentina-Chile border and had started his expedition from the base camp on March 24th but did not make his scheduled return on March 25th."There was a lot of snow around him and his body was found in a tent. He must've got stuck inside his tent after the snow increased" his friend, Satyam Bheemarasetti said. The cause of death is yet to be established.Speaking to The News Minute, Mastan's sister Malli Dorasanamma had earlier said, "He was always a very adventurous boy with so much passion for travelling, photography and meeting new people and always on the move."(Mastan with his sister Malli)Malli was in touch with the ministry of external affairs and the embassies of Chile and Argentina but could not be contacted after the news of her brother's death came through.Mastan hailed from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh and has close to 10 to 12 years of experience of climbing mountain peaks. He is an alumni of IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-Kolkata and was scheduled to return to India on March 28 after conquering all the Andes peaks.Mastan's family had appealed to the AP government to take the required steps to rescue him after he was not found for a week.He also holds the world record for the only person in the world to do 7 summits on seven days of the week and one in each calendar month besides being the only South Asian to accomplish 7 Summits.Tributes have started pouring in for the mountaineer on social media with friends and family grieving over his death.One post said: "Mastan embraced South America as his own in his last four years. He learned Spanish to be able to move in South American countries and he really enjoyed the Andes and its vast set of challenges. Mastan has been the amazing unofficial brand ambassador for the South American adventure destinations especially the Andes."“Challenge is what enthralls me and free spirit is what I exhibit. “Never Give Up, Never Give In!” is a phrase that works miracles for me. “Courage and Conviction” has been a way of expression of my self.” - Malli Mastan Babu