Mountaineer from Poland falls to death, other goes missing on way to Himalayan peak of Shivlinga

One of the two ailing Polish mountaineers stranded at a height of over 5,000 feet on way to the Himalayan peak of Shivlinga in Uttarkashi district fell to his death while his compatriot is missing, a senior police official said on Friday.

Lukasz Jan Chrzanowski tottered and fell into a deepgorge on Thursday evening as he tried to come down in order tomake it easier for the rescuers to reach him, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Dadan Pal told a news agency.

As he was ailing and week he seems to have faltered whilecoming down and fell to his death, he said.Lukasz's compatriot and companion Grezegorz MichaelKukurowski, who is also ailing is yet to be located, theofficial said.

Lukasz's body has been brought to the base camp atTapovan while a search is on to find Kukurowski, he said.The authorities are in touch with the Polish embassy tofind out how to hand over Lukasz's body to his family.

Meanwhile, the search is on by a combined team of StateDisaster Response Force (SDRF), Nehru Institute ofMountaineering, Garhwal Scouts (mountaineering squad fromGulmarg) and the Army's 12 Grenadiers to trace the otherailing mountaineer, the SP said.

The duo, who were part of a five-member team ofmountaineers from Poland, took ill on way to Shivlinga peaklocated at a height of 6,543 metres above Gomukh on Wednesday,police said.

Rescue operations were launched after other members ofthe group returned to their base camp and informed authoritiesabout it, Pal said.
The Polish mountaineering team had begun the expeditionon September 22.