Five British climbers rescued after fall on 23,000ft Pakistan peak

Ben Farmer
The five climbers in Islambad earlier in September. (Left to right Will Sim, Alastair Swinton, Uisdean Hawthorn, John Crook, Tom Livingstone)
The five climbers in Islambad earlier in September. (Left to right Will Sim, Alastair Swinton, Uisdean Hawthorn, John Crook, Tom Livingstone)

Five British climbers were rescued from a 22,500ft mountain in Pakistan after they fell and were injured during a climb on on Sunday.

The party of experienced climbers was climbing Koyo Zum in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when they fell on a glacier, local officials said.

An army helicopters reached two of the climbers on Sunday evening, but darkness and poor weather then halted the attempt to get the rest off the mountain. Two others, including one with head injuries, were rescued on Monday. The fifth had stayed at base camp and was also safe, local police and the British High Commission in Islamabad said.

Upper Chitral's Additional District Commissioner (ADC) said they had been climbing when they had got in to trouble at around 14,000ft at noon, local time, on Sunday.

William Sim and John Crook were ferried off the mountain by army helicopter and reported to be injured, but in a stable condition in the town of Mastuj.

Alastair Swinton and Thomas Livingstone climbed to a height of 18,000ft, but could not be rescued on Sunday. Mr Swinton was injured, police said and as well as attempts to reach the pair by helicopter, a rescue party of police and local levies was sent to the base camp.

A fifth climber with the party, Uisdean Hawthorn, had stayed at base camp, police told the Telegraph, along with three cooks and a guide.

The ADC, called Irfanuddin told DawnNewsTV the British expedition team had reached the Koyo Zom base camp on September 3.

He said: “After receiving word of the accident, a rescue operation was launched and rescue teams reached the climbers by helicopter.

He went on: “As per our information, the team fell from a height of 30m after a climber slipped on a glacier during the trek,” he said.

Mountain guides describe  6,872m  Koyo Zum as a long, narrow mountain with steep icy slopes.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “Our staff are in close contact with the support teams of five British climbers who have been rescued from a mountain in Pakistan, as well as those who carried out the rescue operation.”