Two Japanese climbers have fallen from K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, in northern Pakistan, setting off search and rescue efforts.
The Japanese Embassy in Pakistan says the two Japanese men, one in his 30s and the other in his 40s, were involved in the climbing accident that took place on the 8,611-meter peak on Saturday.
An aerial search spotted them, but their conditions remain unknown.
Local media say authorities are preparing for a ground operation to rescue them.
The pair belong to the Tokyo-based climbing equipment store operator Ishii Sports.
In a statement, the company identified them as Hiraide Kazuya and Nakajima Kenro, both mountain photographers and climbers.
The statement says the firm was notified that the two men fell from a height of 7,000 meters at 02:30 UTC while ascending.
It says a rescue effort by helicopter failed due to difficulty in landing. It also says efforts are underway to reach them by land.
In northern Pakistan, two Japanese men went missing at another mountain, about 7,000 meters high, in June. One was confirmed dead. Earlier this month, yet another Japanese man suffered a fatal fall at the same mountain.