By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A Russian mountaineer went missing and two others were critically wounded on 26,000-foot Gasherbrum IV mountain in norther Pakistan, officials said on Sunday, as a rescue operation was hampered by treacherous weather.
A five-member Russian team was attempting to retrieve the body of Dmitry Golovchenko, who went missing on the same mountain in 2023. However, an ice formation collapse on Saturday triggered a “catastrophic event,” according to Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
The team comprised Sergei Nilov, Mikhail Mironov, Alexy Bautin, Sergei Mironov, and Evgeni Lablokov.
“As the team ascended the mountain, an ice formation, possibly a serac, collapsed, unleashing a catastrophic event. The unforgiving nature of Gasherbrum IV, known for its hazardous terrain, turned their noble mission into a fight for survival,” Haidri said in a statement.
“Sergei Nilov is missing, with no information available about his status,” he said. “The possibility he may still be alive hangs in the balance.”
Mikhail Mironov and Sergei Mironov were stranded on the mountain with severe injuries, while Alexy Bautin and Evgeni Lablokov were airlifted to safety on Saturday.
“Adding to the tragedy, two of the climbers sustained severe injuries in the incident,” Haidri said. “Their condition is critical, and there is little hope that they will survive beyond the next day, casting a further shadow over the already grim situation.”
Akhtar Shigri, a police official, said a Pakistan Army helicopter was waiting for good weather to launch a rescue mission.
“And today, the helicopter is also waiting for good weather to search and rescue the other three climbers,” Shigri added.
Media reported that Nilov, the missing mountaineer, had survived a near-fatal fall from the same mountain in September last year with Golovchenko. Nilov made it back to the base camp from where he was rescued via a helicopter while Golovchenko had gone missing.
The incident highlights the risks faced by climbers in Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is home to some of the world’s highest peaks. Recent incidents include the death of Pakistani mountaineer Murad Sadpara on Broad Peak Mountain and the loss of five Japanese climbers and a Brazilian paraglider in the Karakoram range.
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