Indian woman climber Baljeet Kaur was found alive on Mt Annapurna in Nepal on Tuesday, a day after she went missing near Camp IV while descending from the summit point. The 27-year-old mountaineer had sent a radio signal asking for immediate help, and an aerial search mission was initiated to locate her. Kaur, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, had previously scaled Mt Lhotse in May last year, becoming the first Indian climber to have climbed four 8000-meter peaks in a single season.
According to the information received from her expedition team, Baljeet Kaur had climbed Mt Annapurna along with two Sherpa guides at around 5:15 pm on Monday. Her GPS location indicated an altitude of 7,375m (24,193ft) when she was found. Efforts are still ongoing to recover the body of Noel Hanna, a legendary climber from Northern Ireland who passed away at Camp IV after returning from the summit point.
Unfortunately, another climber, Anurag Malu from Rajasthan, went missing while descending from Camp III on Mt. Annapurna and was later found to have died after falling into a crevasse at an altitude of 6000m on Monday, as reported by The Himalayan Times newspaper.
Mt Annapurna, standing at 8,091 meters above sea level, is known for its difficulty and danger in ascent, and these recent incidents highlight the risks and challenges that climbers face on this mountain. As the mountaineering community mourns the loss of Noel Hanna and remembers his legacy, the survival of Baljeet Kaur serves as a testament to the strength and resilience of climbers who brave the world’s highest peaks.