Rescue Mission on Gasherbrum: Triumph and Tragedy Amidst Peril

After six days of being stranded on a remote peak in Pakistan's northeast, two injured Russian climbers were rescued while another remains missing and presumed dead. The climbers, who embarked on a mission to retrieve a body from Gasherbrum, faced dire circumstances impacted by harsh weather and treacherous conditions.

After six harrowing days stranded on a remote peak in Pakistan's northeast, two injured Russian climbers were finally rescued, though another remains missing and is presumed dead, a mountaineering official confirmed on Wednesday.

The five-member team had begun their expedition on one of Gasherbrum's peaks to retrieve the body of a fellow climber who died last year. They were struck by a massive ice formation on Friday. Rescuers airlifted two of the mountaineers on Monday, but more planning was required to save the other two due to their severe injuries.

An army helicopter, supported by local volunteers, successfully rescued the two injured climbers on Tuesday, according to Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The third climber fell into a crevasse, and remains unlocated. Haidri added that the rescued climbers are in stable condition at a base camp and attempts are ongoing to transport them to a hospital in Skardu, despite adverse weather conditions. The Russian team had taken an unusual route on Gasherbrum without guides or sherpas, a perilous choice Haidri warned against. He urged climbers to be wary of the inherent dangers in pursuing such high-risk endeavors.

(With inputs from agencies.)