A Pakistani porter died yesterday at Concordia after waiting in vain for 16 hours to be evacuated. Ser Muhammad was carrying loads for a K2 expedition. At about 5,000m, before base camp, he fell ill with symptoms of acute mountain sickness.
In an interview with the news site Hum.comThe Pakistan Association of Tour Operators (PATO) said Muhammad was receiving initial treatment from a medical team on the ground. When he did not improve, they asked for an air evacuation. And therein lies the rub.
“Normally, porters do not have the same insurance coverage as foreign climbers, and we have appealed on humanitarian grounds,” said PATO Secretary Muhammad Umar. “The military approved the request, but due to bad weather, the helicopter could not get there on time.”
Sadly, Ser Muhammad passed away the next morning, still in a tent at Concordia.
Askari Aviation’s military pilots offer only helicopter services in Pakistan. They typically charge around $20,000 per flight. Foreign climbers and perhaps a few privileged locals may be able to afford insurance to cover that cost, but most local mountaineers can’t, and certainly not the porters who carry loads to base camp.
These are not even rented for the season but paid per day, according to the rates fixed by the Gilgit Baltistan government:
Local insurance not sufficient
Umar added that the Gilgit-Baltistan government does provide some insurance to local porters, but it only covers the equivalent of $718, which is well below the cost of the rescue operation.
News of Ser Muhammad’s death has led to renewed calls to improve working conditions and infrastructure for local workers.
As a blogger Pir Faraz Ali It was said on social media that there is no proper rescue service in the mountains of Pakistan and that the nearest hospital (at Concordia) is three to four days’ ride away on a mule.
“We need a helicopter rescue service that is also affordable for these local porters,” Faraz Ali wrote. “(They) wait for the climbing season all year round to earn money to feed their families and then lose their lives to this.”
He also criticized the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which he considers toothless. He called for leaders “who actually do something for local climbers and porters.”
“The Gilgit-Baltistan government and the Ministry of Tourism must take immediate action to address these issues,” agrees Umar of PATO.
Ali Porik, vice president of PATO, confirmed to ExplorersWeb that the pilots agreed to rescue the porter, but he died before they could fly to the site. Fellow porters are currently transporting Muhammad’s body by mule to his home village of Tisar.
“PATO has put out a call for donations for the doorman’s family,” Porik said. “The insurance money is not enough and will take a long process before it is given to the family.”
Recurring problems in Pakistan
Muhammad’s death brings back bitter memories for another Pakistani porter who worked around K2. Last year, Muhammad Hassan died at the Bottleneck during an attempt to reach the summit, surrounded by other climbers, many of whom just stepped over him. Authorities promised to improve the situation for local employees.
This season, the issue has resurfaced amid other controversies, including the jailing of Ali Saltoro of Alpine Adventure Guides after paragliding pilot Rodrigo Raineri died in an accident near Askoli. (Some paragliders, including the deceased, are said to have flown earlier after applying for a permit but before it could be issued.)
Since last week, Ali Saltoro has been released on bail and will have to defend himself in court. Some climbers have said that paragliding could be banned in Pakistan while the investigation is ongoing. However, Ali Porik told ExplorersWeb that flying is still allowed, but permits must be issued in advance.
In another controversy in Pakistan, 15-year-old Selena Khawaja reached base camp yesterday. She (or her home team) posted the following story on Instagram, blaming the team’s porters for “misusing” oxygen. The post noted that the entire team had to spend a night in the open, but are now safe.
The mail This has to stop: Another K2 Porter dies first appeared on Explorers Web.
