After six days stranded on a remote peak in Pakistan's northeast, two injured Russian climbers were rescued, while another remains missing and is presumed dead, reports the AP. The five-member team was attempting to climb one of Gasherbrum's peaks to retrieve the body of a fellow climber who died there last year when the group was hit by a pile of ice on Friday, officials said. Rescuers airlifted two of the mountaineers Monday, but more planning was needed to rescue the next two, who were unable to move because of their injuries.
An army helicopter, backed by local volunteers, helped rescue the two injured on Tuesday, said Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. He said the fifth climber, Sergei Nilov, went missing during the avalanche and is presumed dead. Haidri identified the rescued climbers as Mikhail Mironov and Sergei Mironov. Haidri said Wednesday the two Russians were moved from the peak to base camp and were in stable condition at a winterized tent. "A helicopter was set to transport them to the northern city of Skardu, but it could not fly due to bad weather," he said, and that they were trying to find another way to get them to a hospital.
The Russian team, which was not accompanied by guides, took an unusual route on Gasherbrum. While Haidri acknowledged that the climbers were hit by the ice formation while "ascending the mountain for a noble cause," he still warned against such endeavors. "Climbers are fully aware of the dangers linked to such missions, but they still opt for dangerous and unexplored routes," he said. "This is how climbers make records but also come across challenges."
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