CHITRAL: The Pakistan Army completed a climber rescue mission in Upper Chitral area on Monday after its MI-17 helicopter airlifted two more stranded British nationals from the mountain to safety.

Deputy commissioner of Upper Chitral Shah Saud told Dawn that the army had rescued William Tayloy and John Crook on Sunday and Alastair James Swinton and Thomas Michael Livengton on Monday.

He said another climber, Uisdean Robertson, and Pakistani guide Imran Khan were present in the base camp.

The DC said the climbers had fallen into a fissure of glacier in Khoi Zom, Yarkhoon valley.

He said all four British climbers were found to be ‘physically sound’ after being rescued and that they’re normal after first aid was given to them in a nearby health centre in Mastuj.

Mr Saud said the operation was suspended on Sunday as clouds enveloped the mountain but good weather on Monday facilitated the rescue of stranded climbers.

The climbers had reached the base camp a week ago and started the journey to scale the 19,000 feet summit after going through the acclimatization process.

Amateur climber Syed Nazir Hussain Shah told Dawn that Khoi Zom mountain was very dangerous for scaling due to steepness.

He said it was the first expedition to the mountain, which failed.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019