Tragedy on K2: Chinese Mountaineer Dies After Rockfall

A Chinese mountaineer, Guan Jing, tragically died on Tuesday night after being struck by falling rocks during her descent from K2.

The accident took place on the Abruzzi Spur route, located between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp, an area notorious for rockfalls. Guan Jing had successfully reached K2’s summit on Monday along with a group of other climbers prior to the fatal incident.

Efforts are currently in progress to recover her body. Meanwhile, the other climbers who reached the summit of K2 on the same day are safely making their way back to base camp. More than 30 climbers in total achieved the climb to the top of K2 on Monday.

Last month, a Pakistani climber passed away following an avalanche near Camp 1 on K2, which is the highest peak in Pakistan.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) reported that the avalanche impacted four climbers. Two climbers successfully returned to base camp, while another foreign mountaineer sustained minor injuries. Tragically, Iftikhar Hussain Sadpara, a climber hailing from Skardu, lost his life. His body was retrieved and transported back to base camp soon after the event.

Earlier last month, Klara Kolouchova, a well-known climber from the Czech Republic, also died during an expedition on Nanga Parbat after a fall between Camp 1 and 2.

Kolouchova had been the first Czech woman to successfully climb both Everest and K2, two of the highest peaks across the globe.

Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains exceeding 8,000 meters, including K2, a climb deemed more challenging than Everest, giving it the designation “Savage Mountain”.