{
  "id": 2748854,
  "title": "Spantik Peak mission to retrieve body of Pakistani climber halted amid heavy snowfall",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/spantik-peak-mission-to-retrieve-body-of-pakistani-climber-halted",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T08:18:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2024747/spantik-peak-mission-to-retrieve-body-of-pakistani-climber-halted-amid-heavy-snowfall"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Sunday, snowfall at Spantik Peak halted efforts to retrieve the body of 34-year-old Pakistani climber Dr Asma Mushtaq, who had died while descending the 7,027-meter peak on Thursday. High-altitude sickness, caused by hypoxia due to rapid ascent and inadequate acclimatization, is believed to be the cause of her death. Her body is currently at Camp 3 at approximately 6,400 meters. The recovery team departed for Camp 2 on Saturday but was halted by heavy snowfall and advised to return to Base Camp and wait for a suitable weather window. Approval for a mercy mission and helicopter rescue on humanitarian grounds was also in progress, with support from the Pakistan Army. The recovery operation, coordinated by Dr Mushtaq's expedition company, involved climbers from various teams and was in coordination with institutions including the tourism department, local government, and the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP). The ACP clarified that it was Pakistan's national federation for mountaineering and sport climbing, not a rescue organization with dedicated resources. It emphasized that search, rescue, and other relevant activities depended on government resources, while regretting the lack of a dedicated and properly established high-altitude rescue system in Pakistan. The ACP requested the public to refrain from spreading misinformation and stressed that the safe and dignified recovery of Dr Mushtaq's body was the priority. Baltistan Division Commissioner Kamal Khan criticized the tour operator for violating mountaineering rules by not arranging for the recovery team and helicopter to airlift the body.",
  "summary": "GILGIT: Snowfall at Spantik Peak on Sunday halted efforts to retrieve the body of Pakistani climber Dr Asma Mushtaq, who died while descending the 7,027m peak in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Shigar district. 34-year-old Dr Mushtaq died at an altitude of around 6,250 metres on Thursday while descending from the summit of Spantik — also known as Golden Peak — after suffering from high-altitude sickness. Her…",
  "key_points": [
    "Dr Asma Mushtaq's body halted recovery due to heavy snowfall",
    "High-altitude sickness likely caused 34-year-old climber's death",
    "ACP emphasized need for government resources in rescue operations"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Spantik Peak mission to retrieve body of Pakistani climber halted amid heavy snowfall",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/spantik-peak-mission-to-retrieve-body-of-pakistani-climber-halted-2752048",
        "published": "2026-08-23T08:32:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}