SWAT: The Rescue 1122 personnel on Saturday continued their search for a mountain guide who fell into a gorge and died after a glacier burst in the Matiltan area of Upper Swat’s Kalam Valley, officials said.

One climber was injured in the incident, which occurred during the team’s descent from Falak Sar Peak several days ago.

Authorities learned about the incident only after the surviving members of the expedition returned to Kalam Bazaar.

The missing mountaineer was identified as Syed Ali Shah of Khwazakhela, a local guide for the expedition.

DC says authorities requested to provide helicopter, specialised rescue support

According to his companions, Mr Shah succumbed to injuries after falling into a deep gully but his body couldn’t be retrieved due to the hazardous terrain and severe weather conditions.

The injured climber received first aid from the Rescue 1122 medical team before being shifted from the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Kalam to Saidu Teaching Hospital in Mingora for specialised treatment.

Rahimullah, one of the expedition members from Swat, told Dawn that the team comprised six mountaineers of whom three hailed from Rawalpindi, one from Mardan and two from Swat.

“We started our trek on July 5 and successfully summited Falak Sar Peak on July 9 where we spent the night,” he said.

Standing at 5,985 metres, Falak Sar is the highest peak in Swat and one of the highest peaks of the Hindu Kush mountain range in the region.

“On July 10, while descending, our local guide, Syed Ali Shah, slipped and fell into a steep gully below the ridge of the peak,” Rahimullah said.

He said the team managed to reach Ali Shah, but he had sustained a severe spinal injury and was completely paralysed.

“We spent the following day and night with him, trying to rescue him, but due to the lack of professional climbing and rescue equipment, it was impossible to evacuate him safely,” he said.

“The next morning, we were caught in a severe snowstorm, and Syed Ali Shah succumbed to his injuries,” he added.

Rahimullah said another member of the expedition also sustained serious injuries, forcing the team to prioritise evacuating the survivor.

“We had no option but to leave Ali Shah’s body at the site while we rescued the injured climber. After an extremely difficult journey, we reached Kalam Bazaar on July 17,” he said.

According to him, the body remains at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet in an extremely dangerous location, making recovery impossible without specialised assistance.

“The body can only be retrieved through a helicopter operation supported by a professional high-altitude rescue team, preferably involving experienced mountaineers and rescuers from Skardu,” he said. He urged authorities to urgently arrange a helicopter and deploy a professional rescue team to recover Shah’s body.

When contacted, Upper Swat deputy commissioner Sohail Khan said the district administration had coordinated with all relevant departments and formally sought helicopter support and specialised rescue assistance from authorities.

“We have taken all relevant departments on board and requested authorities to provide a helicopter and specialised rescue support,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026