GILGIT – German Olympic gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier has tragically died following a rockfall while climbing Laila Peak, a 6,096-meter-high mountain located in Pakistan’s Hushy Valley, Ghanche district.
The accident occurred earlier this week as Dahlmeier and fellow climber Marina Eva attempted to summit the iconic peak. A sudden landslide struck the pair during their ascent, prompting an immediate large-scale rescue operation launched by local authorities.
Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed that Marina Eva was successfully rescued on Tuesday, but 30-year-old Dahlmeier could not survive the disaster.
Dahlmeier made history in the Winter Olympics, becoming the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and pursuit events in a single Games. She retired from professional biathlon in 2019 to pursue adventure sports and mountaineering.
The tragedy adds to a string of deadly incidents in Pakistan’s northern mountains this month. Just days earlier, a Czech climber died after falling into a ravine near Nanga Parbat base camp, while renowned Pakistani mountaineer Iftikhar Hussain Sadpara lost his life in an avalanche on K2.
Ongoing monsoon rains have intensified natural disasters in the region, leading to floods, landslides, and delayed rescue missions. According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 288 people have died in rain-related incidents this season.
Authorities continue to urge extreme caution for trekkers and climbers planning expeditions in northern Pakistan during the monsoon months.
