Kalam Glacier Burst: Rescue Teams Search for Missing Guide in Upper Swat
Authorities seek helicopter support to recover a missing mountaineering guide after a glacier-related incident near Falak Sar Peak injured six climbers.
Rescue teams prepare operations following a glacier-related incident in Upper Swat's Kalam Valley.
Kalam Glacier Burst rescue efforts continued on Saturday as authorities searched for a missing mountaineering guide following a glacier-related incident in Upper Swat’s Kalam Valley that left six other climbers injured.
Rescue 1122 said emergency teams were working to trace Syed Ali Shah, a resident of Khwazakhela, who disappeared during the expedition in the Matiltan area. His fellow climbers believe he died after suffering critical injuries, but rescuers have not yet recovered his body.
According to expedition member Rahimullah, the seven-member team began its trek on July 5 and successfully reached the summit of Falak Sar Peak, the highest mountain in Swat at 5,985 metres, on July 9.
While descending on July 10, Shah slipped into a steep gully below the mountain ridge and suffered a severe spinal injury that left him paralysed, Rahimullah said.
The team stayed with the injured guide for nearly two days and tried to rescue him. However, they lacked the specialised climbing equipment needed to move him safely from the remote high-altitude location.
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Rahimullah said a severe snowstorm struck the area the following morning, and Shah died from his injuries. Another expedition member also suffered serious injuries, forcing the group to prioritise evacuating the survivor before making the difficult journey back to Kalam Bazaar on July 17.
He said Shah’s body remains at an altitude of about 18,000 feet, where dangerous terrain makes recovery impossible without a helicopter and a professional high-altitude rescue team.
Upper Swat Deputy Commissioner Sohail Khan said the district administration had coordinated with relevant departments and formally requested helicopter support and specialised rescue assistance from the concerned authorities.
He added that officials had also invited members of the Alpine Club of Pakistan to help determine the safest and quickest method to recover the body.
Rescue 1122 said medical teams treated three injured climbers before transferring them from Kalam Tehsil Headquarters Hospital to Central Hospital in Saidu Sharif for further treatment. Three other expedition members sustained minor injuries and remained safe.
The incident comes as experts continue to warn about increasing glacier-related hazards in northern Pakistan. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast above-normal temperatures during the 2026 monsoon season, warning that accelerated glacier melt could increase the risk of glacial lake outburst floods and other mountain hazards.
Pakistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers, the largest concentration outside the polar regions. Scientists have warned that rising temperatures linked to climate change are accelerating glacier retreat, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, increasing the risk of glacier-related disasters.
