PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers have called off the search for a Japanese mountaineer who went missing a week ago while trying to climb one of the highest mountains in northern Pakistan, officials said Thursday.
Authorities said there was little chance of survival for 36-year-old Atsushi Taguchi, whose fellow climber Ryuseki Hiraoka died while climbing the 7,027-meter Spantik Peak, also known as Golden Peak. The two went missing on June 13 and Hiraoka’s body was found on June 15.
The Golden Peak is known for the striking golden hue that falls on it at sunrise and sunset, making the peak a popular destination.
“The search for the second Japanese climber was called off on Wednesday,” local official Nazar Hussain said.
He said rescuers saw no trace of the missing climber during the search.
Alpine Club of Pakistan secretary Karrar Haidri also said the search for the second Japanese had been suspended.
He declined to make any speculation about the fate of the missing climber, saying that “the chances of survival in such cases are very bleak, but families do hope for miracles, and they do.”
Every year, several climbers die in Pakistan trying to reach the top of some of the highest mountains in the world, including K2, which is located in northern Pakistan.
