SKARDU: Two missing Japanese climbers were spotted by helicopter on Thursday in Pakistan’s mountainous north, home to some of the world’s tallest peaks, but their condition remains unknown, a tour operator said.
The Japanese climbers Ryuseki Hiraoka and Atsushi Taguchi were attempting to summit the 7,027-metre (23,054-foot) Spantik mountain in the Karakoram range before they went missing.
“The rescuers saw the climbers and recognised them by their clothes, but they could not determine their condition,” Naiknam Karim, the CEO of Adventure Tours Pakistan (ATP) which organised the tour, told AFP.
The two were spotted during a military helicopter search on Thursday that was called off due to poor weather conditions.“There has been no communication between the two Japanese climbers and officials at base camp since they started their expedition,” Karim earlier said.
“They were seen on June 10 (for the) last time at above 5,000 metres.”Another team of Japanese climbers raised the alarm on Tuesday after arriving at Camp 2, at around 5,650 metres, where Hiraoka and Taguchi were scheduled to be.The search is scheduled to resume on Friday.“An 8-member rescue team including five Japanese climbers will ascent on foot and search for them,” Karim Added.
Representational image shows workers of Rescue 1122 listening speech of their chief during monsoon rains emergency...
A general view of the high-voltage lines. — AFP/FileMULTAN: The key provincial departments are defaulters of Multan...
The representational image shows a girl drinking water from a water pump. — Unicef/FileFAISALABAD: Around half of...
A well-known women’s rights activist, Rukhshanda Naz speaks during an event. — Facebook@rukhnaz/FilePESHAWAR: A...
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Advisor Ihtesham Ali speaks during the second MS Conference on April 28, 2025. —...
KP police personnel stand guard in Peshawar, on August 7, 2022. — AFPPESHAWAR: Blood feuds are claiming more lives...