Two injured Russian climbers were rescued after being stranded for six days on a remote peak in Pakistan’s Gasherbrum range, while a third remains missing and is presumed dead, according to mountaineering officials.
The five-member Russian team had embarked on an expedition to retrieve the body of a fellow climber who died on Gasherbrum last year. On Friday, the climbers were struck by a large ice formation, injuring two of them.
Rescuers successfully airlifted the injured climbers on Tuesday with the help of an army helicopter and local volunteers. Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed that the two climbers were transported to base camp and are in stable condition. Efforts to move them to a hospital were delayed by bad weather.
A third climber, who fell into a crevasse during the incident, has not been located.
The Russian team was not accompanied by guides or sherpas and had chosen an unusual route on the mountain. Haidri acknowledged the climbers’ efforts to ascend the mountain for a noble cause but warned about the dangers of such missions, highlighting the risks of unexplored routes.
Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan due to avalanches and sudden weather changes. Earlier this month, Pakistani climber Murad Sadpara, 35, died during a descent from one of the country’s highest peaks after participating in numerous high-altitude rescue missions.
