GILGIT: Russian climber Sergey Nilov, who went missing after an avalanche on Gasherbrum IV, has been “presumed dead.”
The incident occurred on August 17 at an altitude of 6,200 to 6,400 meters, where a five-member Russian expedition team was attempting to scale the 17th highest mountain in the world.
The team, consisting of Sergey Nilov, Alexey Bautin, Mikhail Mironov, Sergey Mironov, and Evgeny Yablokov, was also searching for the body of their compatriot Dmitry Golovchenko, who had gone missing on the same mountain last year.
The avalanche struck suddenly, leaving Sergey Nilov missing, while two of his teammates, Mikhail Mironov and Sergey Mironov, were injured and stranded on the mountain. Alexey Bautin and Evgeny Yablokov remained unhurt and were rescued by Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters.
Also read: Two Russian climbers stranded on Gasherbrum IV rescued
Karrar Haidri, Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed the tragic news, stating, “Sadly, Sergey Nilov, who went missing during the avalanche, is presumed dead.” The two injured climbers were rescued and brought down to the advanced base camp on Tuesday, where they are awaiting a helicopter evacuation.
A rescue team, consisting of five local climbers from Baltistan — Yousuf Ali, Muhammad Ali, Ghulam Abbas, and Muhammad Younus — along with Russian climber Evgeny Yablokov, was deployed at 6,000 meters by Army helicopters. However, due to the extreme altitude, the helicopters were unable to operate above 6,000 meters, complicating the rescue mission.
Ghulam Muhammad, CEO of Blue Sky Treks & Tours, the expedition organizer, explained that an army helicopter was on standby, ready to airlift the injured climbers from the advanced base camp. However, harsh weather conditions prevented the immediate execution of the rescue operation.
The Russian Federation of Alpinism reported that a detailed flight itinerary had been prepared, with plans for a helicopter to take off at 6 a.m. on Thursday. “Tomorrow at 6 a.m., the helicopter will take off and at 8 a.m. pick up the victims from 6,100 meters. By 10 a.m., they should be in Skardu, where the Mironovs will be taken to the hospital. After that, Bautin and Yablokov will begin to address logistical matters for their departure,” the federation stated in a recent update published on its website.