Gilgit-Baltistan Information Minister Fatehullah Khan on Monday said that the bodies of mountaineers Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr have been traced on K2.
A team, comprising Sadpara’s son Sajid Sadpara, Canadian filmmaker Elia Saikaly and Pasang Kaji Sherpa, is climbing K2, while being in contact with army officers, to find the bodies.
Talking to a private news channel, the minister said that army helicopters would approach the Base Camp of K2 to lift the bodies.
He added that the team had located the first body at close to 9am this morning near the bottleneck area of the mountain.
“First, the body of John Snorri was located at 9am below the bottleneck. He was wearing yellow and black coloured clothes,” said Khan. He added that the second body was located at 12pm but the team has not been able to identify the other two bodies.
The minister said that Snorri’s body was identified as the army’s focal person had confirmed the colours of his clothes.
According to a news outlet, Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Karrar Haideri said that it is “very difficult” to bring the bodies down from the mountain because of the high altitude, adding that the Army Aviation is helping in this regard.
The secretary further said that Snorri’s body would be shifted to Iceland at the request of his wife, Lina. Mohr’s sister and mother had also decided previously that his body would be brought back to Chile.
The mountaineers had gone missing on February 5 while trying to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world at 8,611 metres above sea level.
After days of search efforts that included the use of Pakistan Army helicopters, satellite imagery and SAR technology, the three climbers were officially declared dead on February 18.
Following Sadpara’s death, the Gilgit-Baltistan government had announced Rs3 million for his family and a suitable job for his son.
It had also approved the establishment of Muhammad Ali Sadpara Institute of Adventure Sports Mountaineering and Rock Climbing in recognition of his services.
Besides, the government had also decided to nominate Ali Sadpara for the highest national civil award.
With additional input from APP
