By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Mountaineer Murad Sadpara died on Monday from head injuries sustained while descending Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, in the country’s northwestern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the Alpine Club of Pakistan and fellow climbers confirmed on Monday.
Sadpara, 35, was working as a guide for a Portuguese climber when he slipped at an altitude of around 5,000 meters on Sunday.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said rescue efforts were hampered by harsh weather on the mountain. The Broad Peak Rescue Team, dispatched from the base camp earlier in the day, confirmed Sadpara had died after arriving at the mountain’s camp one.
Sadpara’s body will be transferred from camp one to the base camp later in the day, after which it will be shifted to Skardu via an army helicopter. His body will be shifted to his village if weather conditions permit.
“In a heartbreaking incident, prominent Pakistani mountaineer Murad Sadpara has died while descending from Broad Peak, which stands at 8,047 meters,” the Alpine Club said in a statement.
“Sadpara, well-regarded for his bravery in rescue missions and commitment to mountain clean-up efforts, was severely injured during his descent when a loose rock struck him on the head at Camp One.”
Sadpara was an accomplished mountaineer who had summited the 8,126-meter-high Nanga Parbat twice in one week. He was also part of a team that recovered the body of a porter, Hassan Shigri, from the K2 mountain last week.
“At just 35 years old, Murad Sadpara had already established himself as a brave and dedicated mountaineer, passionately advocating for the protection and preservation of Pakistan’s mountainous regions,” the Alpine Club said.
“He spent his summers on the peaks, while his winters were devoted to supporting his family by driving tractors. He leaves behind three daughters, a son, and a lasting legacy of courage and selflessness.”
Dubai-based mountaineer Naila Kiani said expressed grief at Sadpara’s passing in a Facebook post. “I am heartbroken to share that Sadpara is no longer with us,” she wrote. “The rescue team found his body at 6:00 am today.”
Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif paid tribute to Sadpara, describing him as an “amazing climber” and his best friend. “He always kept entertaining us, loved singing and never got bored,” Kashif recalled. “I don’t have words to express sadness. I can say may God rest his soul in eternal peace.”
This summer, five Japanese climbers and a Brazilian paraglider lost their lives in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range in separate incidents.
Over 2,000 foreign climbers and trekkers have applied for permits for mountaineering expeditions and trekking in Gilgit Baltistan this year. Pakistan is home to five of the world’s tallest mountains that loom above 8,000 meters, including the K2 and Nanga Parbat mountains, known for their treacherous climbs.
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