Two foreigners rescued from highest peak in Kaghan valley

MANSEHRA: Two foreign adventurers, stranded due to heavy snowfall while attempting to summit Koh-i-Makra, the highest peak in Kaghan valley, were rescued by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police on Sunday.

District Police Officer (DPO) Shafiullah Khan Gandapur said that an Italian and a French national were stranded at the mountain’s base camp for over 19 hours due to deteriorating weather conditions.

“Thanks to Allah Almighty, we have safely rescued both adventurers and brought them to Shogran,” Gandapur told reporters.

The rescue operation was launched after the embassies of the missing foreigners informed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed and Regional Police Officer Nasir Mehmood Satti about the situation.

“We acted immediately upon receiving the information and conducted the operation throughout the night. Both visitors were safely shifted to Shogran,” Gandapur said, adding that worsening weather and heavy snowfall had severed the adventurers’ contact with authorities and their embassies.

The DPO emphasised that ensuring the safety of foreign tourists visiting Kaghan Valley remains a top priority.

The operation was conducted swiftly as another heavy snowfall was forecast within the next 24 hours. The Balakot Tehsil Administration, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Police, and the Kaghan Development Authority also assisted in the rescue effort.

The rescued adventurers, Francois and Carlo, who are affiliated with the United Nations, recounted their ordeal.

“We set out to summit Koh-i-Makra, but the weather took a turn for the worse, leaving us stranded at the base camp,” said one of the foreigners.

He praised the efforts of the rescuers, saying, “Pakistan Zindabad! Bravo to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police for rescuing us at the right time and safely bringing us to Shogran.”