Avalanche
A local climber was killed while six others were injured when an avalanche hit a Pakistan-Italian expedition who were scaling a 17,388-foot high peak situated in Ishkoman Valley of Ghizer district in Pakistan on Monday. Adventure Tours of Pakistan, which has organised the expedition, said if weather permitted two army helicopters would start rescue operation to airlift the injured mountaineers and the body on Tuesday morning.
The seven-member Pakistan-Italian expedition comprising four Italian climbers had started their adventure to climb the unknown peak in the Hindukush mountain range in Ishkoman valley on June 2. Chief executive officer of Adventure Tours of Pakistan Naiknam Karim told Dawn that the climbers were hit by an avalanche at an altitude above 16,404-feet on Monday morning. The avalanche killed a guide and injured other members of the expedition.
“The details were still very sketchy because of lack of communication from the remote area. However, I am in contact with the affected climbers through satellite communications,” he said.
Mr. Karim added the injured climbers were not in a critical condition but are unable to move further as their equipment, ropes, and tents had been swept away by the avalanche. Naiknam Karim said the army helicopters and about 10 local high altitude porters will be dispatched to help the rescue operation.
