BURSTA Chinese climber named Jing Guan has died after being hit by rockfall while descending from the summit of the world’s second-highest peak in northern Pakistan, officials said this week.
Guan was struck while coming down from K2, a day after reaching the summit with a group of climbers, said Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional government of Gilgit-Baltistan. The Pakistan Alpine Club confirmed her death and said she had successfully reached the summit on Monday.
Guan is the second climber to die on K2 this year. In July, Pakistani climber Iftikhar Hussain died after a rockfall event in the same around where Guan was killed. And earlier this year, Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier was also killed by a rockfall when climbing on Laila Peak.
It was a dangerous season on K2, as weather and conditions resulted in most teams abandoning their 2025 attempts. The threat of falling rock and ice is always there, but due to record-breaking heat, it seems this year is worse. Less than 50 people summited this year, all on Aug. 11.
Sad news from the Karakoram – Chinese climber Jing Guan has died after being struck by falling rock while descending from K2 Camp 1. The accident happened around 12:30 p.m. local time yesterday.Jing Guan was part of an expedition team when the rockfall occurred. #K2 #rockfall pic.twitter.com/vxl3J9g3LY
— Summiters Club (@summitersclub) August 13, 2025
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