Hyderabad, April 18 (IANS): The body of top Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu, who died while scaling a mountain between Argentina and Chile, will reach Chennai by Monday, officials said on Saturday.

Andhra Pradesh Minister for NRI Affairs Palle Raghunath Reddy said the body would be flown in from Argentina to Chennai. "The body will reach Chennai on Sunday night or on Monday," he said.

From Chennai, the body will be taken by road to his village Gandhi Janasangram in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

The 40-year-old Mastan Babu went missing on March 24 while trying to scale solo a mountain Cerro Tres Cruces Sur. He was found dead on April 3.

All efforts by fellow mountaineers and even by army helicopters to bring down the body from the mountain failed because of adverse weather.

Finally, a group of professional mountaineers brought down the body with the government of India spending one lakh dollar on this effort.

Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said the mortal remains were brought to Buenos Aires for autopsy. After embalming and completion of other formalities, it will be flown to India.

The top mountaineer had achieved the feat of becoming the "fastest seven summiteer" in the world (172 days in 2006, during which he climbed seven summits on seven days of the week in each calendar month).