Pakistani climber Dr Asma’s body airlifted to Skardu from Spantik

In Gilgit, Dr Asma Mushtaq's body was safely airlifted to Skardu and transported to a hospital from Spantik Peak base camp on Monday, as weather conditions improved. The 34-year-old female climber succumbed to high-altitude sickness on August 20 while descending from the 7,027-meter mountain. After completing necessary legal procedures, her body was set to be flown to Lahore for burial on Tuesday.

Ayaz Shigri, the general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, confirmed that helicopters successfully transported the body despite challenging weather conditions earlier in the day. Despite being healthy at the summit, Dr Asma developed a severe medical emergency at around 6,400 meters during her descent and tragically passed away due to high-altitude sickness.

The ground team voluntarily recovered the body from Camp 3 at approximately 6,250 meters and brought it to the base camp on August 31. Local climbers emphasize that retrieving a body from altitudes exceeding 6,000 meters is a highly risky endeavor. In some cases, bodies at such extreme heights are left buried under snow. Once airlifted from the base camp on Monday, Dr Asma's body was received by district administration, police officials, and representatives from the local climbing community at the Skardu helipad. She was subsequently taken to the Combined Military Hospital in a health department ambulance.