A Japanese climber tragically fell to his death while descending a mountain in Pakistan, a local official informed AFP on Wednesday. This incident occurred just weeks after two fellow Japanese climbers were declared dead on the same peak.
Onishi Hiroshi, aged 64, was returning from an expedition up the 7,027-metre (23,054-foot) Spantik mountain when the accident happened on Tuesday. "While descending, he fell into a crevasse near Camp 2," said Ataur Rehman Kakar, the Nagar district deputy commissioner, in an interview with AFP on Wednesday. "The other climber and porters managed to recover the body and safely transport it to Camp 1," he further explained.
Hiroshi was among four Japanese mountaineers who commenced their climb on June 10, supported by Pakistani porters. Tragically, two Japanese climbers perished during a separate expedition last month. One of their bodies was retrieved, but the other was declared dead after the search was terminated due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Pakistan boasts five of the world's 14 mountains exceeding 8,000 metres, including K2, the world's second highest. According to government figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region, where Spantik is located, last year. The summer climbing season in this region typically spans from early June to late August.
