Who is Guan Jing? Chinese climber dies in rockfall on K2 during descent

Chinese mountaineer Guan Jing has died after being hit by falling rocks while descending from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. The tragic accident happened on Tuesday night, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP).

Officials said the incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route, between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp. This section is well-known for dangerous rockfalls. Guan had reached the K2 summit on Monday along with a group of climbers before starting her descent.

Karrar Haidri, Vice President of ACP, confirmed that recovery operations are in progress. He added that other climbers who reached the summit that day are now returning safely to base camp. More than 27 climbers successfully made it to the top of K2 on Monday.

Guan Jing was part of a 15-member expedition team from Imagine Nepal. The team reached the peak at 3:32 PM Pakistan time on August 11, 2025.

This is the third fatal climbing accident in Gilgit-Baltistan this season. On July 19, 2025, Pakistani climber Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain died after an avalanche hit his K2 expedition. On June 4, 2025, Czech mountaineer Klára Kolouchová lost her life on Nanga Parbat, often called the “Killer Mountain.”

Another fatal accident occurred on July 28, 2025, when former German Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier was killed by falling rocks while climbing Lailla Peak in the Hushe Valley, Ghanche district.

The back-to-back tragedies have cast a shadow over the 2025 climbing season in Pakistan, raising concerns about safety in these extreme mountain environments.