Renowned Pakistani mountaineer Murad Sadpara has died after successfully summiting Broad Peak, one of the highest peaks in the world.
Sadpara, who held several records in mountaineering, was fatally injured by falling rocks during the descent. His body was retrieved and transported to the Japanese base camp by local rescuers.
The rescue mission, supported by the Pakistan Army, involved six local climbers and rescue personnel. Among them were four climbers from Sadpara village and two from the Shigar region.
This morning, two additional climbers, Ashraf Sadpara and Zakir Sadpara, were airlifted to Broad Peak to assist in the mission. Murad Sadpara’s body is expected to be returned to his native village by evening.
Sadpara was part of a Pakistani team that recently recovered the body of a porter from K2, who had perished a year earlier.
Broad Peak, located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, is considered one of the “safer” eight-thousanders, standing at 8,047 meters (26,555 feet).
However, the accident has underscored the inherent dangers of high-altitude climbing.
Pakistan, home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, is a destination for climbers worldwide.
In 2023, over 8,900 foreign climbers visited the remote northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan during the summer climbing season, which runs from early June to late August.