Japan climber dies scaling never-conquered Pakistan peak in fall from 18,000 feet
- Shinji Tamura slipped and fell from 5,380 metres up a mountain in Pakistan’s far northeast. Rescuers found some belongings, but ‘no trace’ of his body
- His companion Semba Takayasu was also injured after being hit by falling debris, but managed to reach base camp on his own to raise the alarm
He said the purpose of the expedition was to summit a never-before scaled peak in the Andaq Valley in the country’s north. Haidri said that while ascending the mountain on Friday, Shinji Tamura slipped and fell at an altitude of 5,380 metres (17,650 feet).
Haidri said that the man’s colleague, Semba Takayasu, was injured when he was hit by something, presumably a piece of rock. However, he said Takayasu later safely managed to reach the base camp to seek help from local authorities.
Haidri said a search team was quickly sent to the area where the climber slipped, but rescuers failed to find Tamura until Monday when the operation was called off, declaring the death of the Japanese climber.
“We have been informed by local authorities that the Japanese fell from a great height into the rocks and there were piles of snow and apparently he was buried there. Some of his belongings were found but there is no trace of his body,” Haidri said.
“There is no chance of survival in such incidents, and the injured Japanese Semba Takayasu had also seen him falling from a great height, and rescuers went to the area for the search.”
