The Pakistan Army conducted a daring rescue operation, saving three foreign mountaineers who became stranded while attempting to scale K2, the world’s second-highest peak. The climbers, hailing from the Netherlands, Singapore, and Ecuador, faced severe difficulties on the formidable mountain, also known as Savage Mountain due to its challenging ascent and high fatality rate.
One of the rescued climbers recounted the ordeal: “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.”
Another climber described her stressful 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.”
The third mountaineer also shared his harrowing experience: “I fell from the glacier and the Pakistan Army rescued me from the glacier.”
After the rescue operation, the army provided immediate medical aid and warmth to the climbers, who expressed their gratitude to their rescuers for bringing them to safety.
Pakistan’s mountainous terrain is a significant attraction for adventurous climbers, boasting five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters. However, these challenging endeavours often come with dire risks. In 2023, a Pakistani porter lost his life as hundreds attempted to summit K2, 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 while attempting to scale K2 and were later declared dead by authorities. Sadpara remains the only Pakistani to have climbed eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
K2, located approximately 10 kilometres north of Gasherbrum IV in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, is part of the Karakoram mountain range. It is known as one of the deadliest mountains in the world, with many climbers losing their lives in their quest to reach its peak.
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