Chinese Mountaineer dies during K2 summit

ISLAMABAD – A Chinese mountaineer Guan Jiang has died after being struck by falling rocks while descending from world’s second-highest peak K2.

Alpine Club reported that Guan had successfully reached the summit on Monday, but the accident occurred Tuesday night between Camp One and the Advanced Base Camp.

Other climbers with her were unharmed. On Monday, 30 climbers in total reached the summit of K2.

World’s second largest peak remains one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Its steep and technical terrain, sharp ridges, and unstable ice and rock make climbing extremely challenging, even for seasoned mountaineers.

K2 weather is unpredictable, with sudden snowstorms, high winds, and extreme cold adding to the risk. Avalanches and rockfalls are common, and there is no easy route to the summit, unlike Mount Everest.

Over the years, several climbers have lost their lives on K2, including Art Gilkey who perished in an avalanche, Wanda Rutkiewicz, one of the first women to summit K2 who disappeared during her descent, Dmitry Sobolev who fell on the Abruzzi Spur, and John Snorri Sigurjónsson who died during summit.

Mountaineer Iftikhar Sadpara dies in avalanche during K2 expedition