Two Japanese mountaineers, Hiraide Kazuya and Nakajima Kenro, have recently fallen on K2, the world’s second-highest peak located in northern Pakistan.
The climbers, both in their 30s and 40s and affiliated with Tokyo’s Ishii Sports, were reported to have fallen while ascending around 7,000 meters above sea level.
A rapid search and rescue operation was initiated, and an aerial search team has managed to spot the climbers. However, the exact condition of Hiraide and Nakajima remains unclear due to the challenging terrain and weather conditions.
The rescue efforts are being hampered by the difficulties in landing helicopters at such high altitudes.
This incident underscores the perilous nature of climbing in Pakistan’s high-altitude regions and adds to the somber history of Japanese climbers facing severe challenges on these peaks. The climbing community and their families are anxiously awaiting updates as rescue teams persist in their efforts to reach the stranded climbers.