ISLAMABAD: A Polish climber has fallen to his death while attempting to summit a peak in northern Pakistan, an official from the country's Alpine Club confirmed Saturday.
Michal Ilczuk fell Thursday as he was attempting to scale Dhee Dasth Sar, an approximately 6,000-meter (20,000-feet) mountain in the Karakoram range.
"The rescue team confirmed the death of Mr Ilczuk Michael Jakob, who fell down during climbing and got a serious injury," Karrar Haidri, spokesman for the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told AFP.
His climbing partner Jakub Bodganski had attempted to render aid but Ilczuk succumbed to his injuries and harsh weather on Friday, Haidri said.
Bodganski was later rescued and picked up from base camp by an army helicopter.
Northern Pakistan is a magnet for mountaineers and is home to some of the world's tallest mountains, including K2.
At 8,611 meters, K2 is the world's second-highest peak but is a more challenging climb than Mount Everest.
Nestled between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range, Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region has 18 of the world's 50 highest peaks.
It is also home to three of the world's seven longest glaciers outside the polar regions. Hundreds of its mountains have never been climbed.
Polish mountaineer falls to death in Pakistan's north
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Polish mountaineer falls to death in Pakistan's north
- The tragedy happened while Michal Ilczuk was attempting to scale an approximately 6,000-meter mountain in the Karakoram range
- His other team member was rescued and picked up from base camp by an army helicopter
Germany to take in more than 500 stranded Afghans from Pakistan
- German interior minister says Berlin seeks to complete process for Afghan refugees by December
- Afghans part of refugee scheme were stuck in Pakistan after Chancellor Merz froze program earlier this year
BERLIN: The German government said Thursday it would take in 535 Afghans who had been promised refuge in Germany but have been stuck in limbo in Pakistan.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the RND media network Berlin wanted to complete the processing of the cases “in December, as far as possible” to allow them to enter Germany.
The Afghans were accepted under a refugee scheme set up by the previous German government, but have been stuck in Pakistan since conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May and froze the program.
Those on the scheme either worked with German armed forces in Afghanistan during the war against the Taliban, or were judged to be at particular risk from the Taliban after its return to power in 2021 — for example, rights activists and journalists, as well as their families.
Pakistan had set a deadline for the end of the year for the Afghans’ cases to be settled, after which they would be deported back to their homeland.
Dobrindt said that “we are in touch with the Pakistani authorities about this,” adding: “It could be that there are a few cases which we will have to work on in the new year.”
Last week, the interior ministry said it had informed 650 people on the program they would not be admitted, as the new government deemed it was no longer in Germany’s “interest.”
The government has offered those still in Pakistan money to give up their claim of settling in Germany, but as of mid-November, only 62 people had taken up the offer.
Earlier this month, more than 250 organizations in Germany, including Amnesty International, Save the Children and Human Rights Watch, said there were around 1,800 Afghans from the program in limbo in Pakistan, and urged the government to let them in.
