SINGAPORE: Efforts to rescue a Malaysian climber stranded near the summit of Nepal's Mount Annapurna are ongoing and his location has been pinpointed, expedition organisers Seven Summit Treks said on Thursday (Apr 25).
Dr Chin Wui Kin, who is a visiting senior anaesthesiology consultant at Singapore's Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, was separated from other trekkers while descending the treacherous peak.
AdvertisementIn Facebook posts on Thursday afternoon, Seven Summit Treks said it has marked Dr Chin's location on the area C3 of the mountain, and deployed four sherpas to rescue him.
The sherpas, pictured abseiling from a helicopter, are part of Nepal's mountain search and rescue team.
At around 2.40pm (Singapore time), Seven Summit Treks said the rescue team has been dropped, adding that it would take them "some hours" to reach Dr Chin's location.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe 48-year-old summited the 8,100m Himalayan mountain on Tuesday with at least 31 others but failed to return to the nearest camp, a kilometre below the peak.
An official from Seven Summit Treks, Thaneshwor Guragain, had said the Dr Chin's guide stumbled into the camp late Tuesday after the two had lagged behind the rest.
"Details of the climber's condition are not clear, but his guide said it was impossible to bring him down by himself. We are aware of his location," Mr Guragain said on Wednesday.
Some team members waited at the camp for extra oxygen in the hope of reaching Dr Chin but efforts to send a helicopter with supplies were hampered by bad weather.
Dr Chin had returned to Nepal after summiting Mount Everest last year.
Mount Annapurna is technically difficult and avalanche-prone and has a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak.
Hundreds of people from around the world travel to the Himalayas each year for the spring climbing season, when conditions are best.
This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.
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