Murad Sadpara: savior of others loses his life

GILGIT: Renowned Pakistani mountaineer Murad Sadpara, celebrated for his heroic rescues of fellow climbers in the treacherous terrains of mountains, has tragically lost his life on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, standing at 8,051 meters.

The sad news was confirmed by the Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Karrar Haidari. Murad Sadpara, 35, who was serving as both a porter and guide for Portuguese climber Maria Conceição, was fatally injured when a rockfall struck him at approximately 5,200 meters on Saturday night.

In a statement to HUM News English, ace climber Naila Kiani said Murad’s team had turned back without summiting due to poor conditions near the peak. Murad, who had been hired to accompany the team only up to Camp 3, waited there as they descended to base camp. It was during this descent that Murad was struck on the head by a large rock, despite wearing a helmet.

The mountaineering community immediately recognized the severity of the situation and called for an urgent rescue operation. In response, four climbers were summoned to the Skardu helipad early Sunday morning, around 5 a.m. However, due to “bad weather conditions,” the rescue operation faced significant delays. Only two climbers, Akbar Sadpara and Dilwar Sadpara, were airlifted to the Broad Peak Base Camp around 11:40 a.m.

On Monday, two additional climbers, Zakir Sadpara and Ashraf Sadpara, were flown to the base camp by an Army helicopter to join the rescue mission. Alongside two local porters, the team embarked on the perilous task of retrieving Murad Sadpara’s body. Tragically, by the time they reached him at around 6 a.m., Murad Sadpara had already succumbed to his injuries.

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In a statement to HUM News English, Karrar Haidari expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the legendary mountaineer. He said Murad Sadpara’s body had been brought down to the Japanese Base Camp. The rescue mission, supported by the Pakistan Army, involved six local rescuers and mountaineers, four of whom hailed from Sadpara, with the remaining two from Shigar.

Murad Sadpara’s body is expected to be transported to his native village of Sadpara by the evening, where he will be laid to rest.

His death marks a significant loss for Pakistan’s mountaineering community. Murad Sadpara was one of Pakistan’s most talented and hardworking mountaineers. He held the unique record of summiting Nanga Parbat in just 6 days. He was leading the K-2 cleanup expedition this year.

Sadpara was also part of a team of Pakistani climbers that recently recovered the body of Muhammad Hassan, a porter who tragically died last year at K2’s Bottleneck. Hassan had perished while hundreds of climbers passed over him during their summit attempts, leaving him to die. Additionally, Murad Sadpara had brought down the body of an Afghan mountaineer from Camp 3 of K-2 last year.

Call for urgent reforms in rescue operations

In a heartfelt statement, ace climber Naila Kiani highlighted the critical issues surrounding the rescue operation. She emphasized that valuable time was lost over the past two days due to administrative delays, which could have been better spent. “Perhaps if we had reached Murad sooner, today’s news might have been different,” Kiani remarked.

Kiani also pointed out the significant challenges faced by mountaineers in Pakistan regarding helicopter rescues, noting that the helicopters are military-owned, and any support provided is on a humanitarian basis. She mentioned that while Askari Aviation offers private helicopter services, they too use Army helicopters, and the cost is significantly higher than in other countries.

Looking ahead, Kiani stressed the urgent need to revise the SOPs for handling such incidents to avoid future delays. She called for immediate contact with the right people to prevent any waste of time. Additionally, she advocated for obtaining an NOC for a private helicopter service, potentially run by retired Army pilots, or for Askari to purchase a private helicopter. “This would allow us to have our own helicopters and establish flexible SOPs, reducing our reliance on military resources. Ensure the cost is reasonable and not exorbitant like the current price,” she added.