The Ministry of Defense of Kyrgyzstan has carried out a rescue and evacuation operation for climbers in the areas of Pobeda and Khan Tengri Peaks. According to the ministry’s press service, military pilots of the Air Defense Forces were involved in the mission.
With weather conditions finally improving, two defense ministry helicopters made six flights into the epicenter of the operation. A total of 62 rescued climbers, tourists, and rescuers were transported to the base camps South Inylchek and Polyana.
Additionally, 30 people — citizens of the UK, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan — were evacuated from North Inylchek camp. The body of Russian citizen Alexey Ermakov, who died on August 16 near Khan Tengri, was also brought down.
Some of those rescued will be taken to medical facilities in Bishkek for specialized care.
It was reported earlier that Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsina had been stranded for seven days on Pobeda Peak due to severe weather, which had prevented rescue operations from starting sooner.
