Body of one missing Japanese climber found on Spantik peak, search continues for second

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: The body of one of the two Japanese climbers was found at the 7,027-meter Spantik peak on Saturday, confirmed local officials, after they were reported missing by another group of mountaineers earlier in the week, prompting authorities in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region to launch a rescue operation.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s tallest mountains that loom above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, known for their treacherous climbs.
Spantik, more popularly called the Golden Peak, is largely viewed as more accessible and straightforward. The Japanese climbers, Ryuseki Hiraoka and Atsushi Taguchi, were attempting to summit it in the Karakoram Range when they went missing on Monday, June 10.
“The dead body of a Japanese climber has been found and the search for the other one is underway,” Naiknam Karim, CEO of Adventure Tours Pakistan, told Arab News in a text message.
The deputy commissioner of Shigar district, Wali Ullah Falahi, informed over the phone that the body of Hiraoka was traced during a helicopter search.
He added that a nine-member rescue team had also left the base camp at 5 AM to look for the missing mountaineers.
“The body was found 300 meters below Camp-3,” he added.
Earlier, a statement circulated by his office confirmed that the body had been retrieved while the search for the second climber was going on.
“The search team, comprising two Pakistan Army helicopters and crewed by high-altitude climbers and experts, has been working tirelessly in challenging weather conditions to locate the missing climbers,” it said.
The statement also noted the Pakistani authorities were keeping the Japanese embassy officials informed about the developments.
According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region in 2023 where the summer climbing season runs from early June to late August.