Pakistan searching for three missing Russian climbers

ISLAMABAD: (Bernama-dpa) Pakistani authorities are continuing their search operation on Sunday (Aug 18) to rescue three Russian climbers who went missing on Gasherbrum IV – the 17th highest mountain on earth, reported German news agency (dpa).

A five-member team of Russian climbers led by Sergei Nilov, who survived a tragic accident last summer, was on a mission to retrieve the body of climber Dmitry Golovchenko at the 7,925-metre Gasherbrum IV. Golovchenko died during the climb with Nilov.

Golovchenko and Nilov won two Piolet d’Or awards together for their daring ascents of treacherous peaks in the past.

The Russian team encountered a catastrophic event during their ascent. On Saturday, the Pakistan army initiated a rescue operation and successfully evacuated two climbers to Skardu for medical treatment.

“Army helicopters will launch another rescue effort to locate the three missing climbers, including Nilov,” Karar Haidri, spokesperson for the government-run Alpine Club, told dpa.

There had been several fatal incidents in recent months, including Japanese climbers in the area. At least four Japanese climbers suffered fatal fall on K2, the world’s second-highest peak.

Each summer, hundreds of mountaineers, mostly from Europe, attempt to scale Pakistan’s peaks, though few attempt the climbs in winter.

The extreme risks of avalanches and severe weather conditions have proven fatal in the past. – Bernama-dpa