Mission to retrieve Pakistani climber Asma Mushtaq's body from Spatnik resumes

A rescue team resumed its trek at Spantik on Tuesday to recover the body of Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq, who died while descending the 7,027m peak in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Shigar district.

The 34-year-old died at an altitude of around 6,250 metres on Aug 20, while descending from the mountain also known as Golden Peak, after suffering from high-altitude sickness. Her body remains at Camp 3.

Efforts to retrieve her body were earlier disrupted due to severe weather.

Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) General Secretary Ayaz Shigri told Dawn on Monday that weather conditions were expected to improve on Tuesday, after which rescuers would make another attempt to bring Mushtaq’s body down to the base camp.

Subsequently, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X that the rescue team had resumed its operation after weather conditions improved.

“The rescue team has once again departed from the base camp and is now heading towards Camp 2. The team is moving carefully and will continue the operation as conditions permit. We pray for their safety and success,” he said.

Shigri had told Dawn that Pakistan Army helicopters were expected to airlift Mushtaq’s body to Skardu after its arrival at the base camp.

During her ascent, Mushtaq had successfully reached the 7,027-metre summit of Spantik and was in good health at the time, ACP said in statements issued on Thursday.

However, she developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at an elevation of about 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) during the descent.

High-altitude sickness encompasses a range of pulmonary and cerebral conditions caused by hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, due to rapid ascent and inadequate acclimatisation to high altitudes.

Her mountain guide, Akbar Ali, and expedition guide, Muhammad Amin, immediately came to her assistance.

“Despite the immediate and dedicated efforts of her mountain guides, who provided every possible ass­i­s­tance under extre­mely challenging conditions, she could not survive,” Karrar Haidri, a senior vice president for ACP, said in a condolence statement.

Shigri said Mushtaq was part of a five-member Pakistani women’s expedition team that summited Spantik, which included climbers Zoni Aslam, Zaba Shigri, Shama and Sohana.