Tourists and guide killed at mountain base camp

Tuesday, 24 Jun, 2013 0

At least 10 people, including nine foreign tourists and a guide, were killed after a gunman stormed a hotel at a mountain base camp.

The victims in the assault at the base camp of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan are reported to include a number of Ukrainians and Chinese. One Pakistani also died.

Up to 20 attackers stormed the hotel at the base camp in the foothills of the mountain.

It is the first such attack on tourists in the region. The Pakistani Taliban has told the BBC it was responsible.

A spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of its second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, who died in a suspected US drone strike in May.

Officials in the Diamir district of Gilgit-Baltistan say the area where the gunmen struck is remote, with it taking more than 18 hours to reach the base camp of Nanga Parbat, added the BBC’s Orla Guerin.

Helicopters had been sent to evacuate the remaining climbers in the region – believed to number between 20 and 25.

The Foreign Office updated the terrorist section of its Pakistan travel advice to say: "terrorists targeted, attacked and killed nine foreign tourists and Pakistani nationals at the Nanaga Parbat base camp area, Gilgit-Baltistan."

Nanga Parbat, part of the Himalayan Range and the world’s ninth highest mountain, is popular with trekkers and mountaineers, especially during June and July.



 

profileimage

Diane



Most Read

Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know

Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham

Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago

Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research

Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact

Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference

Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role

Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal

Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination

Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness

Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future

Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
TRAINING & COMPETITION
Skip to toolbar
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...