Rescuers in northwest China's Qinghai Province are searching for three geologists who went missing during a field trip to the remote Kekexili Nature Reserve two weeks ago.

The three - Yang Nengchang, 36, Gao Chongmin, 53, and Rong Hao, 53 - were reported missing on February 19, the day they were scheduled to return to their campsite from a three-day excursion, said a spokesman with the Qinghai provincial land and resources department.

The geologists work for a subsidiary of the state-owned Geological and Mineral Resources Development Corp of Shaanxi Province, said Shen Anbin, a company executive.

The geologists arrived in Kekexili last September for a survey that was scheduled to last until the end of April. On February 17, they left for a field trip near Tripug Dratso, an area with a large expanse of wetlands, Shen said.

Their colleagues and relatives have not heard from them since.

As of Thursday, rescuers had searched an area totaling 1,030 square kilometers near Tripug Dratso. Yang Langtao, a senior editor with China National Geography, said it would be unlikely for their vehicle to become trapped in the swamp during the winter.

"Their vehicle may have had a mechanical failure and left them stranded," he said. "It is also possible that their satellite phone was turned off."

Yang said their condition might be critical, as they had supplies to last only about two weeks. The plateau region's tough winter climate may also pose problems, Yang said.

The Kekexili reserve encompasses China's largest area of uninhabited land.

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