14 days on: Search continues for missing climbers
Army, police assisting two teams carrying out search operation
Army, police assisting two teams carrying out search operation. PHOTO: EXPRESS
MUZAFFARABAD:
Authorities are still clueless about three Pakistani climbers who went missing while scaling Sirwali Peak in Neelum Valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on August 31.
Two rescue teams mounted on army helicopters have completed the surface check and search but found no clue to the missing climbers. On September 11, police sent another three-member team headed by an alpine club member to search for the missing climbers. The team is due to be back on Tuesday (today).
Moreover, the police sent another two specialist teams towards the Sirwali Peak. The new teams have arrived from Skardu with experience in climbing the steep and deep gorges in the snow covered areas.
Neelum Valley SP Jameel Mir said the team has been given three days to find the missing climbers. He said the army, police and civil administration teams were present at the base camp at Domail Bala, adding that the weather was bad at Sirwali peak.
“It is very difficult for the rescue teams to continue the search operation as the Sirwali peaks have received two feet of fresh snow,” Mir shared.
A five-member expedition from Islamabad ventured out on August 26 from Kel to Domail Bala base camp to summit the 20,000 foot peak. Soon, the three climbers, identified as Usman, Imran and Khuram, lost contact with the two while ascending the peak, the police said while quoting the two survivors.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2015.
Authorities are still clueless about three Pakistani climbers who went missing while scaling Sirwali Peak in Neelum Valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on August 31.
Two rescue teams mounted on army helicopters have completed the surface check and search but found no clue to the missing climbers. On September 11, police sent another three-member team headed by an alpine club member to search for the missing climbers. The team is due to be back on Tuesday (today).
Moreover, the police sent another two specialist teams towards the Sirwali Peak. The new teams have arrived from Skardu with experience in climbing the steep and deep gorges in the snow covered areas.
Neelum Valley SP Jameel Mir said the team has been given three days to find the missing climbers. He said the army, police and civil administration teams were present at the base camp at Domail Bala, adding that the weather was bad at Sirwali peak.
“It is very difficult for the rescue teams to continue the search operation as the Sirwali peaks have received two feet of fresh snow,” Mir shared.
A five-member expedition from Islamabad ventured out on August 26 from Kel to Domail Bala base camp to summit the 20,000 foot peak. Soon, the three climbers, identified as Usman, Imran and Khuram, lost contact with the two while ascending the peak, the police said while quoting the two survivors.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2015.