Islamabad, 24 May (H.S.):

The body of a Japanese mountaineer who had been missing for the past seven days in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region has been recovered during a rescue operation conducted with the assistance of volunteers from a local mountaineering club.

According to a report by Dunya News, 64-year-old Yosuke Akiba had travelled to the Masrur Rock View Point in Skardu District. The scenic location, situated at an altitude of more than 3,700 metres above sea level, offers panoramic views of the Indus River and the surrounding mountain ranges.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Ghulam Rasool told local media that Akiba’s body was discovered inside a deep crevice near a cliff in the Hussainabad area. He had reportedly travelled to the site without the assistance of a local tourist guide.

Rasool stated that the body was retrieved using ropes and specialized rescue equipment and was being transported to Skardu. Volunteers from the Sadpara Mountaineering Club also participated in the difficult recovery operation.

Chairman of the Sadpara Mountaineering Club, Ghulam Muhammad Sadpara, said that four experienced climbers from the club joined hands with Rescue 1122 personnel during the mission.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar