GILGIT: Pakistani climbers Naila Kiani and Shehroze Kashif were rescued from Camp 4 of Annapurna (8,091m) peak in Nepal on Tuesday after they complained of mountain illness while descending from the world’s tenth-highest peak.

Karar Haidri, the general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said at least five climbers, including two Indian mountaineers, were evacuated from Annapurna through helicopters on Tuesday.

The Pakistani climbers scaled the peak on Monday with the Seven Summit Treks team and were stranded at Camp 4 during the descent. Sajid Ali Sadpara, who summited the peak without oxygen and Sherpa support, told Dawn from the base camp of Annapurna that both Pakistani climbers were safe and airlifted to the base camp.

Legendary Irish mountaineer dies during descent

According to expedition organisers, Indian woman climber Baljeet Kaur, who went missing above Camp 4 on Annapurna, has been rescued alive from 7,363m altitude.

The two Pakistani climbers and Indian climber Arjun Vajpai were evacuated from Camp 4 after they fell ill while descending from the summit point, said Chhang Dawa Sherpa, expedition director at Seven Summit Treks. Nepal Army Captain Suman Panday, who suffered from snow blindness at Camp 3, was also evacuated and moved to Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, the body of Irish climber Noel Hanna has also been brought to Kathmandu from Camp 4. The 10-time Everest summiteer from Northern Ireland breathed his last after he returned from the summit point on Monday.

Separately, a team of five climbers has been conducting a ground search for missing climber Anurag Maloo. “Sherpa climbers are now trying to locate Anurag, who went missing after he fell down from around 6,000m into a deep crevasse while descending from Camp III on Tuesday,” Pasang Sherpa, chairman of Pioneer Adventure said, adding that an aerial search was also conducted on Monday to trace the climber.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2023