Pakistani mountaineer and physician Dr Asma Mushtaq has died while descending Spantik, a 7,027-metre peak in the Karakoram range, after successfully reaching its summit.
The 34-year-old climber was reported to be physically stable when she reached the summit, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. However, she developed a medical emergency during her descent at an altitude of approximately 6,400 metres (21,000 feet).
Mountain guide Akbar Ali and expedition guide Muhammad Amin reached Mushtaq and attempted to assist her under difficult high-altitude conditions.
“Despite the immediate and dedicated efforts of her mountain guides, who provided every possible assistance under extremely challenging conditions, she could not survive,” Alpine Club of Pakistan Senior Vice President Karrar Haidri said in a condolence statement.
High-altitude illnesses can develop when reduced oxygen levels affect the body, with severe cases potentially involving the lungs or brain.
Originally from Lahore, Mushtaq was a UK-based doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Alongside her medical career, she was an enthusiastic mountaineer, traveller and vlogger, documenting her climbing expeditions and travels on social media.
Her death came after she had accomplished the demanding feat of successfully reaching the summit of the 7,027-metre Spantik, before encountering the medical emergency during her descent.