Spantik Rescue Halted as Snow Blocks Recovery of Dr Asma Mushtaq
GILGIT: Severe snowfall and strong winds have forced rescuers to suspend efforts to retrieve the body of Pakistani mountaineer Dr Asma Mushtaq from Spantik, the 7,027-metre peak in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Karakoram range. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that the recovery team had advanced toward Camp 3 but was compelled to retreat as conditions deteriorated at high altitude.
The team had reached close to Camp 3, where Dr Mushtaq’s body remains, before heavy snow and powerful winds made further movement unsafe. High-altitude porters had been expected to reach the site and begin bringing her body down toward base camp, but the weather prevented that stage of the operation from proceeding. The recovery effort will now depend on a safer weather window before climbers can attempt another ascent.
Tarar said a helicopter had been authorised to support the mission and that coordination was underway between the Gilgit-Baltistan government and the Force Command Northern Areas. Alternative arrangements were also being considered because aviation at extreme altitude is highly dependent on visibility, wind and mountain conditions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was being kept informed about developments as officials and rescue teams assessed the available options.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan said the recovery team had reached Camp 2 before worsening snowfall halted operations. The club said those involved were advised to return toward base camp and wait until conditions improved. The mission is being coordinated by Dr Mushtaq’s expedition company alongside the Tourism Department, local authorities and the Alpine Club, while climbers from other teams have also joined the recovery effort.
Dr Mushtaq, 34, died after successfully reaching the summit of Spantik and beginning her descent. According to the Alpine Club, she had been in good condition at the summit but later developed a serious high-altitude medical emergency at around 6,400 metres. Her guides immediately tried to assist her in the difficult mountain environment, but she did not survive. Reports have described her body as remaining at roughly the same altitude while retrieval preparations continue.
Originally from Lahore, Dr Mushtaq worked in Britain as a doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. She was also an active traveller, vlogger and mountaineer who documented her expeditions online. Her death has drawn attention within Pakistan’s climbing community to the extreme risks associated with high-altitude expeditions, where medical emergencies can develop rapidly and rescue operations are often constrained by terrain and unpredictable weather.
The Alpine Club has said the circumstances surrounding Dr Mushtaq’s death, as well as the response and conduct of the expedition company, will be examined after the recovery teams are safely down and her body has been brought back. Any further action will depend on the findings of that review. For now, the immediate priority remains recovering her body without exposing rescuers to unacceptable danger, with authorities monitoring conditions for the next opportunity to resume the mission.