Rescue team establishes contact with stranded mountaineers

The ground rescue team on Thursday established contact with mountaineers Shehroze Kashif and Fazal Ali after they had lost contact and were stranded on the Nanga Parbat, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Naga Parbat's camp-2 is at an approximate altitude of 19,000 feet.

According to the military’s media wing, Pakistan Army aviation pilots would attempt to airlift the stranded mountaineers during a small window of good weather which would aid in the rescue effort.

The ISPR maintained that army personnel were coordinating the “high-risk” rescue operation to retrieve Shehroze and Fazal who were stranded on Pakistan’s second-highest mountain.

Pakistan Army aviation helicopters and a ground search team comprised of high-altitude porters and rescuers are part of the rescue tea.

Read Shehroze summits 3 highest peaks in 23 days, laments lack of support

“Pakistan army aviation pilots, in a daring attempt, attempted two helicopter missions despite bad weather conditions but couldn’t pick up the mountaineers due to dense clouds and high altitude,” the ISPR said earlier.

Plea for help

Earlier, in a desperate appeal for help, Shehroze Khasif 's father called on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday for rescuing his son and fellow mountaineer Fazal Ali.

Kashif Salman, in a video message posted on Twitter, said that he had not been able to establish contact with his son since 7:30 pm on Tuesday and was in need to rescue.

The two climbers remain stranded at 7,350 metres at Nanga Parbat, according to his father.

However, according to sources at the base camp, mountaineer Shehroze Kashif had earlier reached near camp-3.