French climber dies on Baltistan Peak

GILGIT:

A French mountaineer died after being struck by an avalanche while attempting to scale the 7,282-metre K-6, also known as Baltistan Peak, in Gilgit-Baltistan's Ghanche district, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The deceased climber was identified as Guillaume Pierrel, 41. He was part of a three-member international team. The local authorities said a recovery operation had been launched.

Pierrel was accompanied by French climber Boris Jule and Swiss national Christina Maria. The team had set out on the expedition in the Hushey Valley on June 6 with the aim of summiting K-6, one of the prominent peaks in the Karakoram range.

According to local authorities and the expedition's tour operator, the accident occurred at an altitude of around 5,000 metres when a sudden avalanche of snow and rock swept across the climbing route during the ascent. Pierrel died on the spot after being hit by the avalanche.