K2 climber killed by falling rock after summiting world's second-highest peak

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A team of mountaineers set off on foot Thursday to recover the body of a Chinese climber from the world’s second-highest peak after bad weather grounded helicopter flights, a Pakistani official said.

Guan Jing was struck by falling rocks on Tuesday while descending K2, a day after reaching its summit with a group in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. She died on the mountain, known for its treacherous slopes, frequent rockfalls, and extreme weather conditions, according to Faizullah Faraq, a local government spokesperson.

He said her body lies between 100 and 150 meters (328 to 492 feet) above the advanced base camp at about 5,400 meters (17,716 feet) and has not yet been retrieved. K2 rises 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) above sea level and is widely regarded as one of the most difficult and dangerous peaks to climb, with a far higher fatality rate than Mount Everest.

“The weather is currently not suitable for a helicopter flight, which is why the body has not yet been brought down” from the mountain, he said. Faraq said Jing was part of an expedition organized by a Nepali company.

He said a Nepali Sherpa, Jangbu, was sent on Wednesday to recover her body but was injured on the way and stranded. The Nepali was later rescued by helicopter and transferred to Skardu Hospital, where he is receiving medical treatment.

Deadly incidents are common on K2, where steep gradients, thin air and sudden storms can turn even routine descents into life-threatening ordeals.

The latest death comes two weeks after German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist, Laura Dahlmeier, died while attempting another peak in the region. Efforts to retrieve her body were abandoned when Dahlmeier’s family informed authorities that she had stated that no one should risk their life to recover her body if she dies in any accident.