Pakistani mountaineer dies in avalanche on K2 

SKARDU: In a tragic, a Pakistani mountaineer Muhammad Hassan died in an avalanche on the world’s second highest mountain K2, ARY News reported citing sources.

According to sources, Muhammad Hassan who was from the district Shigar of Gilgit Baltistan, died when he was summiting K2.

Sources said that he died when the huge avalanche hit him near the Bottle Neck at the end of his summit. It was impossible to bring the mountaineer back so he was buried on the Bottle Neck.

Earlier, Polish climber Pawel Tomasz Kopec died due to acute altitude sickness after conquering the treacherous Nanga Parbat (8,126m), the world’s ninth-highest peak.

“Kopec and his two other compatriots – Piotr Krzyzewski and Waldemar Kowalewski summited Nanga Parbat on Sunday,” the club said in a statement.

Separately, Pakistani climber Asif Bhatti, who had proceeded for the final summit push of the treacherous Nanga Parbat (8,126m) mountain, was stranded with snow blindness.

“Asif is stuck at camp 4 with snow blindness at altitudes 7,500-metre to 8,000-metre. He needs help,” ACP Secretary Karrar Haidri said.

“A helicopter will be needed to pick him up but for that, he will have to come down to around 6,000-metre to 6,500-metre,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Muhammad Ali Sadpara, a highly accomplished mountaineer from Skardu, went missing on the mighty K2 while attempting a winter summit with Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr in January. The team had been missing since February 5, even after multiple rescue efforts.