Pakistani mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara, on an expedition to conquer 8,611-metre high K2 in winter, has lost contact with his team members, in his attempt to rewrite mountaineering history.
According to the team, three climbers, including Sadpara’s son Sajid and Icelandic mountaineer John Snorri, embarked on the mission late night. Last contact established with them was at bottleneck at 8,211m after C4.
Sajid, who had returned to C3 after malfunction of his oxygen support, has been on the look out. Since 4am, there are no traces of the team, including the light signal which is the only way to trace movement of climbers.
Rescue choppers are searching them. The summit has officially not been conquered as yet, the team announced.
Two mountaineers have died during the first attempt to climb the second highest peak of the world in winter.
This is the second attempt on the peak as the first attempt had failed a month ago.
While launching the final attempt after midnight, Sadpara tweeted that it could take up to 14 hours to reach the top.
A statement released by the expedition, Muhammad Ali Sadpara, his son Sajid Sadpara, John Snorri from Iceland and one climber from SST, Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto of Chile, left for the final summit attack at midnight between Thursday and Friday, aiming to reach the summit in 14 hours.
However, 18 members of the SST climbers decided to abandon the mission.
