2 Polish mountain climbers die in the Himalayas

WARSAW, Poland – Two members of a Polish team of climbers have died while scaling a Himalayan peak in India, the head of Poland’s climbers’ union said Thursday.

One of them, Lukasz Chrzanowski, was killed Thursday during a rescue operation after he slid for some 300 metres (330 yards) and fell into a crevasse while trying to climb down, Piotr Pustelnik, head of the Polish Union of Alpinism told Polish television station TVN24.

Chrzanowski’s climbing partner, Grzegorz Kukurowski, lost consciousness and then died on Tuesday as the two men were close to the top of Mt. Shivling, which rises some 6,543 metres (21,466 feet) high.

“Chrzanowski said over the radio Tuesday that Grzegorz (Kukurowski) has lost consciousness, that he cannot feel his pulse,” Pustelnik said.

“The others in the team undertook a rescue operation, with the help of Indian police and Army helicopters. Lukasz (Chrzanowski) decided to slide down the whole length of the wall that they had scaled,” Pustelnik said. “I find it very hard to say, but at the very end, probably out of exhaustion, maybe he made some mistake and fell into a crevasse.”

Kukurowski and Chrzanowski were part of an 8-member Polish team attempting the climb.

Polish climbers are known for reaching many Himalaya and Karakorum peaks, but many have also died making attempts. In 2013 three climbers died on Broad Peak in the Karakorum Mountains.