ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has successfully rescued six more foreign mountaineers from K2, the world’s second-highest peak, after they fell ill during their ascent.
The climbers, who included nationals from the United States, Chile, Macedonia, and Nepal, were attempting to summit the 8,611-meter peak in the Karakoram Range.
K2, renowned for its extreme difficulty and referred to as “the savage mountain” by climbers, is located in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. The Pakistan Army conducted three helicopter sorties to evacuate the climbers from the K2 base camp, where they were suffering from high-altitude sickness.
The rescued mountaineers were transported to a hospital in Skardu for treatment. This operation follows a similar rescue mission carried out earlier in the week, when the Army rescued three foreign climbers from Singapore, the Netherlands, and Ecuador who had also encountered difficulties while climbing K2.
Kim, a climber from the Netherlands, described her situation after a fall from a glacier, stating, “I had a big fall from a glacier and now the Pakistan Army is rescuing me.” A Singaporean climber, who chose to remain anonymous, reported suffering from severe flu, expressing gratitude for the rescue. The Ecuadorian climber was treated for a fractured arm sustained during the climb.
Pakistan, with its towering peaks and breathtaking landscapes, remains a premier destination for international mountaineers and adventure enthusiasts. In 2023, over 8,900 foreign visitors came to Gilgit-Baltistan during the summer climbing season, which runs from early June to late August.
