Mountaineer Murad Sadpara passes away awaiting rescue atop K2

SHIGAR: Mountaineer Murad Sadpara, who was leading the K2 cleanup expedition this year, has passed away after getting seriously injured during his way back from Broad Peak, the Broad Peak Rescue Team confirmed to Geo News on Monday.

The rescue team, which left the base camp earlier today, has reached Camp One and confirmed Sadpara’s death. Days after successfully retrieving the body of Hasan Shagri, a mountaineer who had died last year, from the extreme height of K2 and bringing it to the base camp, Sadpara had embarked on another expedition to summit K2’s Broad Peak, with a Portuguese mountaineer.

On their way, the Portuguese mountaineer had gotten sick and the pair decided to return to base camp. Unfortunately, on their way back, Sadpara was seriously injured after a rock hit his head at Camp One.

Sadpara’s body has been shifted to the Japanese camp, and it will be moved to the base camp by 2pm today from where it will be transported to Skardu via an army helicopter, rescue sources said.

Two more climbers have reached the base camp by helicopter. Four members of the rescue team had left the base camp at 1am on Monday. President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed deep sorrow over Sadpara’s passing, while extending his deepest sympathies to the mountaineer’s bereaved family members.

The president recognised Sadpara’s achievements in mountaineering and prayed for his forgiveness and strength for his grieving family. Last year, Sadpara had brought down the body of an Afghan mountaineer from Camp Three. The 35-year-old mountaineer used to spend his time mountain climbing in summers and driving tractors in winters. He has three daughters and a son.