21 April 2023 , 20:37
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A climber who fell into a crevasse the size of The Shard skyscraper has miraculously been rescued alive.
Indian Anurag Maloo fell into a 300-metre-deep crevasse on Mount Annapurna on Monday.
He was flown to a hospital in the resort town of Pokhara, Thaneswar Guragai of Kathmandu-based Seven Summit Treks said, though his condition at the time was not known.
Local reports indicated the climber's condition was "critical".
His brother told Zee News: "Anurag was found alive. However, his condition is critical. He was taken to hospital. But he is still alive."
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Anurag fell from a height of about 6,000 metres while descending from Camp IV on the world's 10th tallest mountain on April 17.
Annapurna is known to be one of the most difficult peaks in the world to climb.
Anurag fell into a huge crevasse on Monday (Twitter/@anuragmaloo)It stretches to just under five miles tall and reaches into the infamous 'death zone' where the oxygen becomes so thin that it cannot support human life for a sustained amount of time.
The deadly mountain has a higher death rate than Everest and is prone to avalanches.
Also on Monday, revered Irish climber Noel Hanna died. Another Indian climber, Baljeet Kaur, became ill but miraculously survived even after spending the night in harsh conditions and without the aid of supplement bottled oxygen.
Anurag's condition was described as 'critical' (NARENDRA SHRESTHA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Noel, from Dromara, County Down, had reached the summit of Everest an incredible 10 times.
He was the first person from the island of Ireland to successfully climb and descend from K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.
In tribute to Noel, a member of Mourne Mountain Adventures said: "Very saddened to hear of the passing of Noel Hanna this morning, local to the Mournes Noel was the first person from Ireland to successfully climb K2, and astonishingly he climbed the summit of Everest 10 times.
Trekkers watch the sun rise over the Annapurna Range (Malcolm Foster/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"There is some peace in that he spent his last moments doing what he loved best, such a great man and one of Northern Ireland’s finest Mountaineers.
"I had the pleasure of interviewing Noel on two occasions, he will be greatly missed by all that knew him.
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"My condolences go out to his wife Lynne and the rest of his family, RIP Noel."
The climber was transported by a Nepal Army helicopter (NARENDRA SHRESTHA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)SDLP Councillor Laura Devlin said: "This is awful news to wake to. Noel was an absolute gentleman who I first met way back during my Burrendale Gym days.
"To say he was an athlete was an understatement. He was an incredible climber who climbed Everest many many times.
"Noel was such an interesting person with so much life experience and always up for a chat. This news is devastating. I am thinking of Lynne and all their family and friends."
Anurag receiving treatment at a hospital in Pokhara, Nepal (Yunish Gurung/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The spring mountaineering season has just begun in Nepal and hundreds of foreigners and local guides have started climbing the world’s highest peaks.
On Mount Everest, three Sherpa guides have been missing since last week, when they fell into a crevasse on a treacherous section just above base camp on the world’s highest mountain. The crevasse is estimated to be about 50 metres deep.