GILGIT: A five-member climbers’ team from Nepal scaled the 8, 611-metre K2, the world’s second highest peak, at 7:50am on Wednesday, making it the first summit of the mountain in the current season.

The climbers scaled the peak from Abruzzi route.

According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the expedition included Lakpa Dendi Sherpa, Lakpa Temba Sherpa, Nirmal Purja, Chhangba Sherpa and Gesman Tamang.

A team of 19 climbers from the US, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Nepal and Pakistan will also push for the peak from the camp four on Thursday (today).

The expedition is organised by Seven Summits Treks. The organisation’s managing director, Dawa Sherpa, congratulated the team for their successful ascent of K2.

Trapped US female climber evacuated to CMH Skardu

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters rescued the US female climber, Michelle Marco from Biafo Glacier near Hisper valley of Nagar district on Wednesday. She had fallen off from a height near Uzum Brakk and sustained multiple injuries.

She was also accompanied by fellow US climber, Patrick Light.

Both climbers were successfully evacuated and shifted to CMH Skardu.

Earlier on Tuesday, Army Aviation pilots in a daring mission rescued Italian climbers, Francesco Cassardo and Cala Cementi and Russian Konstantins from a 6,000-metre altitude of Gasherbrum-II. The climbers were shifted to the CMH Skardu.

Another Russian casualty, Konstantin Sidorov, was also evacuated from Camp-I of Gasherbrum-II.

According to information released by the ministry of foreign affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Italian mountain climber, Francesco Cassardo, was in a better condition in hospital.

The Italian foreign ministry thanked the Pakistani authorities for the operation on behalf of Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi.

According to the information disseminated by the foreign ministry’s crisis unit, Francesco Cassardo is conscious, has been diagnosed with having several broken bones and is now undergoing further tests to establish more precisely his general clinical condition.

The Italian Embassy in Pakistan is in close contact with the hospital staff in-charge to follow the developments regarding the patient’s clinical conditions. It is also in constant contact with the foreign ministry’s crisis unit and the climber’s family.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2019