Russian climbers reach hospital after rescue in Pakistani Himalayas

Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Two Russian climbers who were injured on the slopes of one of northern Pakistan’s highest mountains reached a hospital in the region on Thursday, a week after they were stranded after being hit by falling ice.

The climbers were part of a five-member Russian team that was attempting to reach one of Gasherbrum’s peaks to retrieve the body of a fellow climber, who died there last year, when it was hit by a pile of ice last Friday.

Rescuers airlifted two of the mountaineers Monday, but two others remained stuck on the base camp because of their injuries and bad weather until Wednesday. Akhtar Hussain, a police official in Skardu, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, said the Russians were transported to a hospital by ambulance, and were in stable condition.

Muhammad Younas, one of the rescuers, said their mission was hampered by harsh weather. He said the missing Russian, who is assumed dead, could not be traced because of heavy snowfall on the mountain.

Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told The Associated Press that climbers Mikhail Mironov and Sergei Mironov are getting the best medical care at a hospital in Skardu. He said the search for the fifth climber, Sergei Nilov, had been called off as he is presumed dead.

Hussain said doctors provided medical care to the two injured climbers. “They are sad over the death of their fifth colleague, but are thankful to the Pakistani rescuers and the army for making efforts to save their life,” he said.

He said one needed only minor medical care, while the other had bruises on his arms and legs because he was hit by the pile of ice on Friday

Haidri said the climbers were fully aware of the dangers linked to the mission when they began an expedition to retrieve the body of their colleague, who died in 2023 on the same mountain while trying to scale it.

Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year, and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes. This month, a Pakistani climber Murad Sadpara, 35, known for taking part in high-altitude rescue missions died during a descent from one of the country’s tallest mountains in the north.

Peshawar is the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces bordering Afghanistan.