Islamabad (Agencies): Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded the ‘Order of Friendship’ to the four Pakistanis, who rescued a Russian mountaineer stranded on the Latok 1 mountain peak in Karakoram range.
According to an official statement issued by the Russian Gazette, the official government newspaper, “Kazi Muhammad, Abid Rafik, Muhammad Anzhum Rafik and Fakhar-i-Abbas have become Knights of the Order of Friendship, for their participation in the operation to save the Russian climber.”
In July, Pakistan Army aviation started unprecedented rescue mission under extreme weather conditions to rescue Alexander Gukov, who had been trapped at a height of 20,650 feet for the past six days.
Gukov and his partner Sergey Glazunov had completed their climb after coming within 600 feet of the summit and began retreating down the mountain on July 25. In an accident, Glazunov fell to his death and Gukov sent an SOS signal for help.
The Russian climber had been stuck since July 25 and had exhausted his supplies three days ago. Seven rescue attempts were made between July 26 and 30 but snow clouds prevented rescuers from locating and retrieving the climber, the ISPR said.
Latok I is a 23,442-foot peak in the Karakoram range and climbing the North Ridge of Latok I is a mountaineering challenge that has never been achieved. Gukov and Glazunov came the closest to the peak of the mountain.
