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Renowned Irish climber Noel Hanna dies, one Indian climber missing on Mt Annapurna
Record-holding Indian climbers Baljeet Kaur and Arjun Vajpai have been rescued from the higher camps of Annapurna.Post Report
Renowned Irish climber, Noel Hanna, died in Camp IV of Annapurna on Monday night. His body was found lying at Camp IV, according to Yubraj Khatiwada, director at the Department of Tourism.
Meanwhile, two Indian climbers who had gone missing since Monday night in Mt Annapurna, the tenth-highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres, have been rescued by Nepali rescuers. Search for the third missing Indian climber is underway, said Khatiwada.
Record-holding Indian woman climber Baljeet Kaur, who went missing near Camp IV of Annapurna while descending from the summit point, was rescued through a chopper using a longline technique, according to Pioneer Adventure, her expedition agency. Kaur has been brought to Annapurna Base Camp and will be flown to Kathmandu for medical examination, the agency said in a statement.
According to Khatiwada, Kaur had been missing since Monday in bad weather conditions. Her rescue operation was carried out at 7,363 metres.
Similarly, Arjun Vajpai, the youngest Indian to climb Everest in 2010, is also being rescued from the areas between Camp III and Camp IV of Annapurna. “He has sustained injuries,” said Khatiwada. “Search is on for another missing Indian climber Anurag Maloo from Annapurna.”
Maloo went missing while descending from Camp IV on Monday.
Annapurna recorded the season’s first summit of the 8,000 metres on April 15.
Three choppers each from Heli Everest, Simrik Air and Kailash Helicopter have been deployed in different areas for rescue operations.
With Hanna’s death, the spring season's death toll on Everest and Annapurna has reached four. Hanna has climbed Mt Everest 10 times.
Meanwhile, rescuers on Wednesday abandoned the mission to search for three Sherpa guides buried underneath the snow on Everest.
Millions of tonnes of ice mass moved downslope and buried the high-altitude Sherpa guides, in the season’s first accident on the world’s tallest peak.
Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition, which had mobilised the guides, has declared all three dead.
“With great sadness, we must share the devastating news of the demise of three of our Sherpa brothers, Dawa Tseri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa and Lakpa Rita Sherpa. Our hearts are heavy with grief as we mourn the loss of these brave brothers who dedicated their lives to guiding and supporting climbers. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and loved ones,” Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition said on its Facebook page.