Missing Irish climber’s body recovered in KP

MANSEHRA: The body of an Irish mountaineer who went missing while descending Musa Da Musalla peak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Siran Valley has been recovered after an extensive search operation.

The deceased, identified as Alexander, was found in a gorge deep inside the dense forests of the Paracha Khatta area on Wednesday.

Alexander had gone missing along with British national Alun David Cooper Cledwyn while returning from the 13,500-foot-high peak.

According to police officials, the two climbers had travelled to Siran Valley on August 28 to summit Musa Da Musalla. They were accompanied by a local guide.

The climbers successfully reached the summit and began their descent on August 30. During the journey, however, Alexander moved ahead of the others and became separated amid heavy rain and dense fog.

Cledwyn and the guide continued towards the base camp. When Alexander failed to arrive, they realised he was missing. Police were subsequently informed, and a large-scale search operation was launched.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Nasir Mehmood Satti personally supervised the operation. Police teams, Forest Department officials, Rescue 1122 personnel, local residents and trained mountaineers took part in the search.

More than 250 police personnel were deployed during the operation. Two teams of mountaineers specially trained for search missions also participated.

Local community members assisted the rescuers because of their familiarity with the difficult terrain and forest routes of Siran Valley.

After several days of searching in poor weather and heavy fog, forest officials and local residents spotted Alexander’s body in a gorge.

The recovery proved difficult because of the steep and densely forested terrain. A police official involved in the operation said it took around four hours to bring the body to the base camp at Mandachucha.

The body was later transported to a health facility for medico-legal procedures.

Officials said the exact cause of death had not yet been established. However, the initial assessment suggested that Alexander may have slipped and fallen into the gorge because of poor visibility, rain and fog.

Police also confirmed that the mountaineers had travelled to the area without obtaining a no-objection certificate from the police and other relevant departments.

DIG Satti said the family of the deceased had reached Islamabad. He assured them of full assistance in completing the required legal procedures.

He said Hazara police remained committed to ensuring the safety of foreign visitors and appreciated the efforts of all teams involved in the difficult search operation.