KATHMANDU, April 18 (IANS) — A famous Indian climber who was earlier presumed dead on Nepal’s Mount Annapurna has been found alive, an expedition organizer said Tuesday.
Earlier Tuesday morning, the organization announced the death of 27-year-old Paljit Kaur after she was reported missing.
Left alone below the summit point, the record-holding Indian climber remained out of radio contact until this morning.
An aerial search team has located Kaur, which climbed the world’s 10th highest peak without the use of supplemental oxygen on Monday, above Camp IV, according to Pioneer Adventure chief Pasang Sherpa.
“We want to inform you that we have established contact with our climber Paljit Kaur who was in distress earlier,” Pioneer Adventure said in a Facebook post, adding that a rescue operation is currently underway, and “we are doing our best to bring her to safety.”
“We want to assure you that she is in good spirits,” said the scouting company.
The aerial search mission only started this morning after it was able to radio a signal asking for “immediate help”.
After misinformation circulated in the media about the climber, the expedition company said: “We would like to bring to your attention an urgent notice regarding our climber. At the moment, we do not have any confirmed reports, and it is our policy not to speculate on any possible outcomes. We want to assure you that the mission Rescue is currently underway, and we are doing everything we can to ensure a safe and successful outcome.
“We kindly request that you refrain from calling our official numbers as our team is fully focused on the rescue operation. We will be providing regular updates through our social media channels, and would ask you to follow us there for the latest information.”
According to Sherpa, the GPS location of Kaur indicated an elevation of 7,375 meters (24,193 ft).
I climbed Mount Annapurna with two Sherpa guides around 5.15pm on a Monday.
At least three helicopters were mobilized to track down Kaur.
Meanwhile, the chances of finding another Indian climber Anurag Malu, who went missing after falling from 6,000 meters into a deep crevasse while descending from Camp IV on Monday, are slim, base camp officials said.
– Jans
ag/ksk/
