Search team reaches suspected location of Pakistani climber Asma Mushtaq's body on Spantik, says minister

A recovery team reached the spot where the body of deceased Pakistani climber Asma Mushtaq was suspected to be buried under the snow on Gilgit-Baltistan’s Spantik Peak, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday.

He added that the operation to retrieve the body was under way.

The 34-year-old climber died on Aug 20 while descending from the mountain, also known as Golden Peak, after suffering from high-altitude sickness. Her body was said to be at Camp 3, which is located at a height of approximately 6,250 metres.

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

In an update posted to social media, Tarar said that the search team had reached the place where the body was suspected to be. “However, because the place is very large and due to heavy snowfall over the past two days, the body is now completely covered under the snow, making it difficult to locate,” he added.

According to the information minister, the rescue team’s search operation had been ongoing for two hours as of around 4pm and was continuing.

On Tuesday, the team, comprising six high-altitude porters, had resumed its search operation once weather conditions improved, after heavy snowfall had halted the retrieval efforts on Sunday.

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

However, she developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at an elevation of about 6,400 metres 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.

ACP President Ayaz Shigri earlier told Dawn that 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.

He said Pakistan Army helicopters were expected to airlift Mushtaq’s body to Skardu after its arrival at the base camp.

Climate change-induced shifts in weather patterns have worsened conditions on the peaks of the Karakoram Range in GB, creating serious difficulties for mountaineers.