Two Russians rescued from mountain, one still missing

SKARDU: Two Russian climbers were rescued by helicopter from a Pakistani peak after being injured in an avalanche, their tour operator said Thursday, while another was still missing and presumed dead.

The two rescued climbers were taken to hospital in the northern city of Skardu, where they were undergoing treatment for their injuries.

“The condition of both climbers is stable,” Hajji Ghulam Muhammad, CEO of expedition organiser Blue Sky Treks and Tours, told foreign media.

The rescue operation on Wednesday, which involved local volunteers and the Pakistani army, was complicated by severe weather and the remote location of the climbers.

The five-member Russian team was attempting to retrieve the body of another climber who had died last year on the 7,925-metre Gasherbrum IV.

On Friday, the group was hit by a massive icefall 6,400 metres up, leaving two climbers injured and unable to move.

Two members of the party were unhurt and able to return to base camp, while another has not been seen since the incident.

As a result of the accident, the members of the expedition decided to stop searching for the missing climber.

“Despite their best efforts, the team was unable to locate Sergei Nilov,” said Karrar Haidri, the general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, referring to the missing climber.

“In a twist of fate, after a year, two rope companions have finally been reunited,” he told AFP, referring to Nilov and the deceased climber he had gone to retrieve.

Pakistan is home to five of the world´s tallest mountains that loom above 8,000 metres, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, known for their treacherous routes.

Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan due to avalanches and sudden weather changes.

Five foreign climbers and at least two Pakistanis have died on the country’s mountains during the busy summer climbing season this year.