Daily Times

The Pakistan Army has rescued six more foreign mountaineers after they got sick while attempting to summit the towering K2 mountain, lies in Karakorum Range.

K2, the world’s second-highest peak which stands at 8,611 meters, lies in Pakistan’s Gilgit Baltistan region. It is nicknamed “the savage mountain” by high-altitude climbers who often encounter great difficulty in summiting it. The Pakistani Army carried out three heli sorties to rescue American, Chilean, Macedonian and Nepali climbers, who were present in the K2 base camp.

They were suffering from high-altitude sickness while trying to summit the K2 mountain. They contacted the Pakistan Army for their rescue which was promptly responded. The Army saved the mountaineers and then shifted them to a hospital in Skardu.

It may be mentioned here that on Wednesday last Pakistan Army had also rescued three foreign climbers after they encountered difficulties while attempting to mount the K2. The mountaineers, who hailed from Singapore, the Netherlands and Ecuador, were rescued by a Pakistan Army helicopter after they fell ill while climbing the mountain.

“I’m Kim and I am from Holland. I had a big fall from a glacier and now the Pakistan Army is rescuing me from the glacier,” she said while sitting in the army’s helicopter.

Another climber from Singapore, who did not mention her name, said she suffered from flu while attempting to summit the mountain. “I got really, really sick,” she said. “Thank you to the Pakistan Army for rescuing me.”

The third foreign climber from Ecuador had his arm in a sling, saying he had fractured it while climbing the mountain. Home to some of the tallest peaks and stunning landscapes, Pakistan attracts foreign mountaineers and tourists from around the world in every mountaineering season, making it a premier destination for adventure enthusiasts. According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited Gilgit-Baltistan in 2023 where the summer climbing season runs from early June to late August.