Russian climber missing, two critically injured on Gasherbrum IV

A Russian climber has gone missing, and two others are stranded with critical injuries on the 26,000-foot Gasherbrum IV mountain in northern Pakistan, officials confirmed on Sunday. A rescue mission is set to be launched once weather conditions permit.

The climbers were part of a five-member Russian team—Sergei Nilov, Mikhail Mironov, Alexy Bautin, Sergei Mironov, and Evgeni Lablokov—who embarked on an expedition to Gasherbrum IV to retrieve the body of Dmitry Golovchenko, a fellow Russian climber who disappeared on the same mountain in 2023.

Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, stated that an ice formation, possibly a serac, collapsed on the mountain on Saturday, triggering a “catastrophic event” for the team. “Currently, Sergei Nilov is missing, with no information available about his status,” Haidri told Arab News, adding that the chances of his survival “hang in the balance.”

Haidri further disclosed that two of the climbers sustained severe injuries during the incident. “Their condition is critical, and there is little hope that they will survive beyond the next day, casting a further shadow over the already grim situation,” he said.

Akhtar Shigri, a police official overseeing matters related to foreign climbers in the northern Shigar district, reported that Mikhail Mironov and Sergei Mironov were stranded on the mountain after sustaining serious injuries. He added that Bautin and Lablokov were safely airlifted by a Pakistan Army helicopter to Skardu on Saturday evening. “And today, the helicopter is also waiting for good weather to search and rescue the other three climbers,” Shigri said.

Hajji Ghulam Muhammad, CEO of Blue Trek and Tours, the company that organized the expedition, noted that the injured climbers were in contact with the other team members. “However, due to serious injuries, they could not descend as they were climbing in alpine style,” Muhammad told Arab News.

Nilov, the missing climber, had previously survived a near-fatal fall from the same mountain in September last year with Golovchenko. While Nilov was rescued via helicopter after making it back to the base camp, Golovchenko went missing.

Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, known for its towering peaks and a major tourist destination, sees hundreds of visitors each year for expeditions, paragliding, and other sports activities. However, such expeditions often turn tragic. Just last week, Pakistani mountaineer Murad Sadpara succumbed to head injuries while descending Broad Peak in the same region. Earlier this summer, five Japanese climbers and a Brazilian paraglider lost their lives in separate incidents in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range.