World
Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy dies in Pakistan avalanche
By 19Network Editorial Team · Jul 31, 2026 · 2 min read
Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest, has died following a high-altitude avalanche in northern Pakistan.
Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest, died on Friday, 31 July, following an avalanche in northern Pakistan. The climber was part of an international expedition attempting to scale a peak in the Karakoram range when the incident occurred. Rescue efforts and recovery Local authorities in Pakistan confirmed that the avalanche struck a group of climbers at high altitude. While other members of the trekking party were reportedly rescued or managed to escape the path of the snow, Al Harthy was caught in the slide. Search and recovery teams were deployed immediately, but rescue operations in the region are frequently hampered by extreme weather and difficult terrain. Al Harthy gained international recognition in May 2019 when she became the first woman from the Sultanate of Oman to reach the peak of Mount Everest. Her death marks a significant loss for the Middle Eastern mountaineering community, where she was regarded as a pioneer for women in high-altitude sports. Increasing risks in Karakoram The tragedy follows a series of recent incidents in Pakistan’s northern territories, where the 2026 climbing season has been marked by unstable snow conditions. The Karakoram range, which includes K2 and Broad Peak, is known for higher technical difficulty and more volatile weather patterns compared to the Himalayan ranges in Nepal. This update follows an official notification from Pakistani mountaineering officials and Oman’s diplomatic representatives late on…