ISLAMABAD: A search and rescue team of high-altitude porters are finalizing arrangements to safely recover deceased woman climber Asma Mushtaq’s body from Spantik mountain, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Monday.
Dr. Mushtaq died while descending the 7,027-meter high Spantik mountain on Aug. 20. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement that she summited the mountain in good health, but during her descent at approximately 6,400 meters, suffered a “serious high-altitude medical emergency” that caused her death.
A team of high-altitude porters attempted to recover her body from Camp-3 at the mountain. However, heavy snowfall and strong winds prompted them to halt the effort temporarily on Aug. 23. The rescue team had departed the Base Camp last Tuesday to recover her body again, Tarar said in an earlier statement after the weather improved.
“The search & rescue team has reportedly located the body of Dr. Asma Mushtaq beyond Camp-III,” Tarar wrote on X.
“The team is assessing site conditions and finalizing arrangements for safe recovery and controlled evacuation to Base Camp, considering the high-altitude terrain and associated risks.”
As per local media reports, Dr. Mushtaq was a UK-based doctor who specialized in obstetrics and gynaecology. She was originally from the eastern city of Lahore.
The climber had completed a successful winter ascent of the 4,076-meter Musa ka Musallah peak located within the northwestern Mansehra district in Pakistan and was associated with expeditions to Rupal and Arandu.
Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan, where climbers face hazards including avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather.
In July, a ten-member team of international climbers were killed after they were caught in an avalanche at Pakistan’s Broad Peak mountain.
