Five British climbers rescued after fall on 6,872m Pakistan mountain

Three members of the expedition team were stranded overnight after becoming trapped on Koyo Zom peak

Northern Pakistan is a popular destination for mountaineers drawn to the area by the challenging climbs. AFP

Five British climbers who were trapped on a mountain in north of Pakistan have been rescued following a two-day rescue operation, the Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed on Monday.

The group of experienced mountaineers climbing the 6,872 metre Koyo Zom peak in the Hindu Raj mountain range came into trouble on Sunday after one of their party slipped on a glacier, a local official said.

"As per our information, the team fell from a height of 30 metres after a climber slipped on a glacier during the trek," Upper Chitral Additional District Commissioner (ADC) Irfanuddin told Pakistan's DawnNewsTV.

Two of the climbers, named by media reports as William Taylor Sim and John James Crook, were rescued by helicopter and airlifted to safety on Sunday.

However, the three remaining climbers, named as Alastair James Swinton, Thomas Michael Livingstone and Uisdean Robertson Hawthorn, and their local guide, identified only as Imran, were left trapped overnight while the search was suspended due to darkness and poor weather conditions.

The Foreign Office told The National on Monday afternoon that all five climbers had now been rescued.

“Our staff are in close contact with the support teams of five British climbers who have been rescued from a mountain in Pakistan, as well as those who carried out the rescue operation,” a spokesperson said.

Northern Pakistan is a poplar destination for mountaineers drawn to the area by the challenging climbs.