Local mountaineer Iftikhar Hussain dies as 4 caught in K2 avalanche

Local mountaineer Iftikhar Hussain lost his life while a foreign climber sustained injuries when their four-member international expedition team was caught in an avalanche that struck the K2 peak on Friday.

K2, standing at 8,611 metres above sea level, is the second-highest peak in the world, attracting a host of local and foreign tourists. Last summer, Gilgit-Baltistan authorities issued a total of 175 permits to climbers aspiring to conquer the mountain, despite the treacherous climb and harsh weather conditions.