Russian climbers airlifted from Gasherbrum-IV, one declared dead

GILGIT: Two Russian climbers injured on Gasherbrum-IV (7,925 meters) were successfully rescued and airlifted to Skardu on Thursday, five days after an avalanche struck their expedition team, leaving one of their compatriots dead.

Ghulam Muhammad, the expedition organizer, confirmed the successful airlift of the injured climbers, Mikhail Mironov and Sergey Mironov, by an army aviation helicopter. The helicopter had been on standby for the past four days due to harsh weather conditions that had prevented earlier rescue attempts.

“Mikhail Mironov is in stable condition and has been shifted to a local hotel,” said Muhammad. “However, Sergey Mironov, who suffered fractures, is currently receiving medical treatment at the Regional Headquarters Hospital in Skardu.”

Tragically, the third climber, Sergey Nilov, has been declared dead. The Russian Federation of Alpinism announced on Thursday that the members of the expedition, who were also searching for the body of Dmitry Golovchenko, decided to cease the search for Sergey Nilov.

“After the collapse of the serac, prolonged snowfall covered the slopes with a thick layer of snow, making further search attempts unsuccessful. Unfortunately, the expedition ended tragically,” the federation said.

They added, “As a result, one of the country’s strongest climbers has died. Sergey Nilov was a two-time winner of the prestigious international mountaineering award, the Piolets d’Or (2012, 2016), and a four-time winner of the Golden Ice Axe of Russia. Over the years, Nilov and Golovchenko have received the most Golden Ice Axes of Russia – four in total.”

The federation also acknowledged the heroism of Pakistani rescuers, who, despite the risks, agreed to navigate potentially dangerous sections of the icefall to rescue Sergey and Mikhail Mironov, who were in close proximity to Sergey Nilov during the collapse.

Hot and Humid weather, isolated storms predicted for today

“They did not sustain serious injuries but were unable to descend on their own, waiting instead for help from rescuers. This morning, the Mironovs were finally taken to a hospital in Skardu and are in good condition, with no serious consequences after three days in the icefall,” the statement read.

The tragedy unfolded on August 17, when Nilov, Mikhail Mironov, and Sergey Mironov were working on an icefall at an altitude of approximately 6,200 to 6,400 meters while attempting to scale the 17th highest peak in the world. The five-member Russian expedition team, comprising Sergey Nilov, Alexey Bautin, Mikhail Mironov, Sergey Mironov, and Evgeny Yablokov, was also searching for the body of their compatriot Dmitry Golovchenko, who had disappeared on the same mountain the previous year.

The avalanche struck suddenly, leaving Sergey Nilov missing and Mikhail and Sergey Mironov injured and stranded on the mountain. The two climbers were brought down to the advanced base camp on Tuesday before being successfully airlifted today.

The other two members of the team, Evgeny Yablokov and Alexey Bautin, who were at a lower camp during the avalanche, were unharmed and were evacuated to Skardu on Monday by a Pakistan Army helicopter for medical treatment.