emergencies
Death of mountain porter on K2: Committee in Pakistan hears witnesses
The ruggedly rising K2 is considered very difficult among mountaineers because of its steep walls. photo
© –/SALTORO_SUMMIT_HANDOUT/epa/dpa
A Pakistani mountain porter has an accident on K2 and dies there. According to some witnesses, however, he could have been saved.
About two weeks ago, the Pakistani mountain porter Mohammed Hassan fell on the Asian eight-thousander K2 and finally died. His death sparked an outcry after videos emerged showing him alive at the scene.
“It is unfortunate that no one stopped to help the dying man,” Abu Zafar Sadiq, president of the Pakistan Alpine Club, told dpa. Several avalanches were triggered on the day of the accident at a bottleneck on K2, the most difficult point before the summit. “Some of the climbers were hit by the avalanches, but fortunately no one was swept away,” Sadiq said. “Whatever the circumstances, someone should have helped the poor chap.”
A mountaineer from Tyrol and a German cameraman were also on K2 on the day of the accident, as the Viennese newspaper “Der Standard” reported. From the incident they got so initially nothing. On a drone recording, they are said to have sighted the dying porter Hassan when they had already returned to the base camp. “He died miserably there. It would only have taken three or four people to bring him down,” quoted “Der Standard” from Tyrolean mountaineer Wilhelm Steindl.
Fatal accidents occur again and again in the Pakistani mountains and the neighboring countries in the Himalayas. The 8611 meter high K2 in Pakistan is the second highest mountain on earth and is considered extremely difficult. Reasons include the steep route and the risk of avalanches.
Article at the Viennese newspaper “Der Standard” Report at Dawn