Mountain guide gone missing into Karakoram peak for three days, family awaits; search operation launched

A mountain guide Pemba Sherpa who hails from Darjeeling when he was descending from the SASER Khangri peak in the Karakoram Range. He has been missing since 13 July.

Sherpa, who is a inhabitant of Gandhi Road locality in the town, had gone for an expedition organized by the Mountaineers Association Krishnagar (MAK).

An ITBP team started the rescue operation on Sunday.

Nima Tenzing, Sherpa’s nephew, said that his family came to know about the incident on Friday. “Someone from the expedition called my father at around 10.30 on Friday night, saying that an accident had taken place and that my uncle was missing while climbing down.

We have no other information. My uncle was an experienced climber and a good humoured person; we are worried about his safety and are praying that nothing bad has happened,” Tenzing was quoted by The Statesman as saying.

Sherpa’s brother Tashi Sherpa said that his brother was hired by the Krishnannager Club. “We left Darjeeling together on 19 June for Kolkata and the next day, we left for Karakoram. The climb was probably to start on 28 June, but I am not sure of it as I returned from the first base camp after I fell sick,” he said.

Saser Khangri is situated in Jammu and Kashmir which is the highest peak in Saser Muztagh, the easternmost sub-range of the Karakoram Range. The height of Saser Khangri IV is 7410 meters with climbers having to camp.

Tashi further said “The accident could have taken place between the third and fourth camps by whatever information I got so far from the expedition members. Connectivity is a problem due to which we have not been able to get any more information.”

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