IAF evacuates stranded mountaineers

Shillong, 28 (UNI) IAF rescue teams have successfully evacuated nine stranded climbers of an Army team from a mountain in Dibang valley situated on the Indo-China border in Meghalaya.

On receiving an SOS from the climbers on November 25, the IAF rescue teams took two Cheetahs and one MI17 helicopter from Mohanbari Air Base and launched rescue mission on the same day.

The climbers had been stranded for five days due to stormy weather and heavy snowfall at about 14,000 foot high valley.

After two days' futile sorties to locate the missing climbers, the rescue teams spotted them on November 27 and pulled up four exhausted climbers to the choppers. The rescuers also helped the rest of the members to break trails down the valley.

UNI RRK PC BDP BD1757