Five foreign climbers missing on Pakistan's K-2

Five foreign climbers have gone missing after an avalanche struck them on the world's second highest peak, K-2, in northern Pakistan, a senior expedition operator said today.

The mountaineers - two Koreans, two Norwegians and one French - were returning from the summit yesterday when the accident took place at an altitude of around 8,000 metres.

"Earlier we had reports of seven missing but one Italian and a Korean have got to a rescue centre. There's no contact with the rest of them," retired Brigadier Mohammad Akram, vice president of Pakistan's Adventure Foundation, said.

Brigadier Akram did not know the exact number of climbers involved in the expedition.

Last month an Italian climber was killed on Nanga Parbat, one of the world's deadliest mountains in northern Pakistan. Two of his companions were rescued by Pakistani troops.