Rescued mountaineer Anurag Maloo still critical

Indian climber Anurag Maloo has shown signs of improvement, but is still in critical condition, his brother said on Saturday (22), days after he was found alive by rescuers on Nepal's Mount Annapurna.

Anurag, 34, from Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing on Monday (17) after he fell from around 6,000 meters while descending from Camp III.

Anurag is currently in the ICU. His health condition has improved, but is still in critical condition, his brother Ashish Maloo said at a hospital near Kathmandu, where he has been admitted on Thursday (20).

A team of rescuers located the climber in a deep crevasse between Camp 3 and Camp 2 of the world's tenth highest peak, said Thaneshwor Guragain, information officer at Seven Summit Treks - the organiser of the expedition.

He was airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted to Medicity Hospital at Bhaisepati area of Lalitpur district.

A helicopter and a team of six Sherpa climbers led by Chhang Dawa Sherpa was mobilised for the search and Anurag was found in a deep crevasse at some 5800-metre altitude on Thursday morning.

He was first taken to the Manipal Hospital in Pokhara and then flown to Kathmandu for further treatment.

A family member said that Anurag graduated from IIT Delhi in 2010.

Anurag is on a mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and the seven highest points in all seven continents to create awareness and drive action towards achieving the UN Global Goals.

He the Antarctic Youth Ambassador from India.

Annapurna, the world's tenth highest mountain, is avalanche-prone, technically difficult and has a higher death rate than Everest.

On Monday, renowned Northern Irish climber Noel Hanna, 56, died at Camp 4 after successfully summiting the peak.

A day later, record-holding Indian climber Baljeet Kaur, 28, and compatriot Arjun Vajpai, 30, were both rescued after a search lasting hours.

The spring Himalayan climbing season had a tragic start last week with the death of three Nepali climbers on Everest.

The trio were crossing the treacherous Khumbu icefall as part of a supply mission when a block of glacial ice fell and swept them into a deep crevasse.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring climbing season, when temperatures are warm and winds are typically calm.

The government has issued more than 700 climbing permits for various Himalayan mountains this season, including 319 for Everest.

(Agencies)