Irish climber Hanna dies in Annapurna, one missing, one rescued

MYAGDI, April 19: Renowned Irish climber Noel Hanna died during a Mt Annapurna expedition on Monday while another climber is missing and yet another has been rescued alive. 

Hanna, whose expedition was facilitated by the Seven Summit Treks, Kathmandu, died in Camp IV of Annapurna. The 56-year-old climber from Ireland was found dead on Camp IV as he was descending from the peak following his successful ascent. His body was picked up from an altitude of 6,000 meters by a helicopter this morning and it has been already taken to TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, for a postmortem.

Another climber Baljeet Kaur from India was rescued from a spot at an altitude of 7,500 meters this afternoon by a Kailash Air chopper, according to Indra Singh Sherchan of Dana, Myagdi, who was in the rescue team. Kaur’s expedition is managed by Pioneer Trekking Company.   

Likewise, Anurag Malu, 34, from Rajasthan, India, has gone missing while descending from the peak after his failed attempt to reach atop, according to his expedition agency Seven Summit Treks. As company Manager Thanehswor Guragai said, Malu went missing after getting slipped and falling into a crevasse from a height of 7,500 meters on Monday afternoon. 

The 8,091 meters tall Mt Annapurna is located in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 in Myagdi district.