Kyrgyz authorities on Wednesday said that Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna, who had been stranded for more than two weeks on Victory Peak after breaking her leg, is now presumed dead. A thermal-imaging drone survey showed no evidence that she was still alive.
Russian climber Nagovitsyna presumed dead
Nagovitsyna (47) became stuck at around 7,000 metres on the 7,439-metre (24,406-foot) peak, where temperatures plunged below –20°C. She reportedly survived in a small orange tent that was eventually ripped apart by strong winds.
Multiple rescue operations failed. Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia died on August 15 while attempting to reach her, and one rescue helicopter crashed. Other missions were abandoned due to severe weather and altitude sickness among rescuers.
Mountaineering experts noted that no climber has ever been successfully evacuated from such a high altitude on Victory Peak, underscoring the extreme difficulty of the mission. (Inputs from NDTV)
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