Peshawar, 30 July

German biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died on a mountain peak in the Karakoram mountain range following a climbing accident, and efforts are underway to retrieve her body, a local government spokesman said Wednesday.

Rescuers have confirmed Dahlmeier's death on Laila Peak, said Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Dahlmeier, an Olympic gold medalist, was climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range when she was struck Monday by falling rocks.

Dahlmeier's body will be brought to the city of Skardu when it is retrieved by rescuers, Faraq said.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered his condolences to Dahlmeier's parents, writing that she “was an exceptional sportswoman.” He recalled that he presented her with the highest honour on German sport, the Silver Laurel Leaf, shortly after she won her first Olympic gold medal in 2018.

“Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders,” he said.

Local authorities launched the rescue mission Monday after receiving a distress signal from Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers 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 here 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.