Dutch climbers rescued after K2 avalanche
Monday, 04 Aug 2008 15:53
Two Dutch climbers airlifted to safety from K2
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Two Dutch climbers have been airlifted to safety after being caught up in an avalanche on the K2 mountain which killed 11 people on Friday.
Pakistani rescue crews launched the operation today to save survivors of the ice fall.
The frost bitten Dutchmen were helped down to base camp by rescuers and team members, Captain Azimullah Berg told the AFP news agency,
"They were then picked up by army helicopter from base camp this morning and have now been shifted to hospital for treatment for severe frostbite," he said.
The two climbers were identified as Wilco Van Rooijen and Cas van de Gevel.
Eleven climbers, including, three South Koreans, two Nepalese, two Pakistanis, a Serbian, an Irishman, a Norwegian and a Frenchman, were killed as they mad their way down K2, the world's second highest mountain.
Reports claim a chunk of ice detached from the mountain, which at 28,250ft is dwarfed only by Himalayan neighbour Everest, and struck fixed lines from a gully known as the Bottleneck.
Rescue teams were today unable to rescue Italian climber Marco Confortola who remains on the mountain.
Brigadier Mohammad Akram, a tour organiser, told AFP: "His condition is not good. He has some bruises and frostbite and exhaustion.
"If he is unable to get to advanced base camp tomorrow, from where a helicopter can evacuate him, then he might be sling-lifted. But this is a very technical operation and needs a lot of preparation."
Italian embassy spokesman, Oddo Sergio, said the climber "has some problems with his arms and legs due to freezing. An attempt will be made tomorrow to rescue him."