Pakistan Army rescues three foreign mountaineers on K2

WEB DESK: The Pakistan Army successfully rescued three foreign mountaineers who became stranded while attempting to scale K2, the world’s second-highest peak, Geo News reported on Wednesday.

The climbers, from the Netherlands, Singapore, and Ecuador, had embarked on the challenging ascent of K2, known as the Savage Mountain due to its difficulty and the second-highest fatality rate among the eight-thousanders.

“I came here to Pakistan to climb K2. I fell from the glacier and struck my arm. I was rescued by a Pakistan Army helicopter,” said one of the mountaineers after the rescue.

Another climber shared her experience: “I came here to K2 base camp. However, due to bad weather conditions, I fell ill. I had a really bad cough and flu and was then rescued by the army.”

Following the rescue operation, the army provided immediate medical aid and warmth to the climbers, who expressed immense gratitude to their rescuers for bringing them to safety.

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Adventurous climbers view Pakistan as a significant destination, as the country hosts five of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 meters. However, these challenging endeavors can lead to dire situations, and sometimes, even death.

In 2023, a Pakistani porter died as hundreds ascended the K2 summit, including Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide Tenjin “Lama” Sherpa. Additionally, renowned climber Mohammad Ali Sadpara and two others went missing in 2021 during their attempt to scale K2 and were later declared dead. Sadpara remains the only Pakistani to have climbed eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains.

K2, located around 10 kilometers north of Gasherbrum IV in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, is part of the Karakoram mountain range and is considered one of the deadliest peaks, claiming many lives of those attempting to reach its summit.