A Chinese mountaineer has died while descending K2, the world’s second-highest peak, as Pakistani rescuers await improved weather to recover her body, officials said Thursday.
Guan Jing was struck by falling rocks on Tuesday night while descending from the summit, according to Arif Ahmad, Deputy Commissioner of Shigar district.
“An army aviation team is on standby for the recovery operation, but poor weather has delayed efforts,” Ahmad told AFP.
Guan was among a group of 30 climbers who successfully reached the summit of K2 on Monday before beginning their descent. The fatal accident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route, between Camp I and the Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for dangerous rockfalls, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said.
Her death marks the fourth fatality of Pakistan’s 2025 summer climbing season, according to the Alpine Club, which monitors mountain expeditions in the region.
Standing at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), K2 straddles the Pakistan-China border and is regarded as one of the most technically demanding mountains in the world — often considered more dangerous than Everest despite being slightly shorter.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres and attracts climbers globally during the summer window from early June to late August.
This season, fatalities have been reported on K2, Nanga Parbat, and Laila Peak. Among the victims was German Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, who died on Laila Peak in July after being hit by falling rocks.
AFP
