Olympic gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier dies in mountaineering accident in Pakistan
Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, said rescuers were trying to reach Dahlmeier despite bad weather on the Laila Peak, where she had been stranded since Monday following a mountaineering accident. However, her management has now confirmed she has died.
The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
Dahlmeier, who also won the 2017 women's biathlon World Cup, was climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range when she was struck by falling rocks.
Climbers including two Americans attempting the same ascent were trying to join the rescue operation earlier today. Military helicopters were on standby but were unable to deploy due to low visibility and ongoing bad weather and rainfall, Faraq said.
Local authorities launched the rescue mission on Monday after receiving a distress signal from Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers on Tuesday.
Dahlmeier was injured at an altitude of about 5,700 metres around noon Monday, according to her management team in Germany. German broadcaster ZDF reported she suffered serious injuries in a rockfall.
Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes.
The region has also been battered by above-normal seasonal rains, triggering flash floods and landslides. Since last week, at least 20 Pakistani tourists have been missing after floodwaters swept them away near the northern district of Chilas.
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