Porter accompanying foreign climbing team dies at Concordia

GILGIT: A porter of Shigar area suffered breathing problems while carrying luggage of a foreign mountain climbing team and died at Concordia peak on Saturday on way to the K2 base camp.

Sher Muhammad was part of a 12-member K2 foreign trekking group organised by Apricot Tours.

The trekkers were on way K2 base camp and the porter, was carrying 25 kg weight with two dozen other local porters.

Wajahat Ali, a representative of Apricot Tours, told Dawn that the porter suffered from breathing problems and lost consciousness at Concordia peak situated at 4500 meters.

The porter was given medicines by a foreign doctor present at Concordia and arrangements had been made to airlift Sher Muhammad to Skardu by a helicopter on Sunday, but he died on Saturday night, Mr Ali said.

The body of the porter was being transported on foot from Concordia to his native village. The unsung heroes, called Khuurpa in local Balti language, are backbone of mountaineering in the region as they carry heavy baggage of mountaineers.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2024